Bill to prevent manipulation in food supply chain passed

The production, storage, transportation, supply, distribution and marketing of food grains (Prevention of Prejudicial Activity) Bill, 2023 was passed in the Jatiya Sangsad today.

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder today moved the bill in the House and it was passed by voice votes with Deputy Speaker Shamsul Huq Tuku in the chair.

“If anyone commits an offense under the proposed law, the person would be awarded a maximum five-year jail or the highest Tk 1.0 million as a fine,” according to the draft of the law.

The proposed law was brought by merging two existing laws – Food grains Supply (Prevention of Prejudicial Activity) Ordinance, 1979 and the Food (Special Courts) Act, 1956.

Tougher punishment has been proposed in the draft law to prevent offenses and misleading information in the stages of production, storage, transportation, supply, distribution and marketing of food grains, said the food minister while placing the proposed bill.

Praising the food minister for enacting the law, opposition lawmaker Fakhrul Imam said the law will save at least four lakh tones of rice yearly as a section of dishonest traders are being involved with trading rice varieties like ‘miniket’ and making huge profit unethically by polishing and cutting of a particular variety of rice. (BSS)