BMPCA demands policy formulation for safe food delivery
Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association-BMPCA has organized a civic rally, demanding "We want the use of technology to ensure the safe food and safety of food delivered online". In the rally held in front of the National Press Club on Thursday, 8-point demands were highlighted including ensuring the quality of products and food delivered online and making food policies delivered online.
The other demands include - not charging any platform fees by reducing service charges; Ensuring the use of technology in food production and food quality assurance; Adopting all strategies to provide seamless online services from marginal farmers directly to the consumer's dining table; Identify and punish those who use adulterated and formalinized food; Ensuring the quality of street food and ensuring the safety and quality of food from the kitchen to the consumer's plate from the sidewalk to the five-star hotel motel.
While speaking as the chief guest in the rally, the founding chairman of the Safe Food Authority, Mostak Hasan Md. Iftekhar said that there is no policy for online food supply in Bangladesh. The Safe Food Authority has already formulated a set of regulations and drafts. It will be expressed in the form of law based on the opinion with the parties. 99 percent of the people of the country do not know how to ensure the quality and safety of their food. Government and authorities are working in this regard. Besides, the people should also be aware to ensure the safety of their food. He also said that the government should come forward to ensure food security from the marginal farmer to the consumer's dining table. Besides, those who are doing business online should be assured of quality food supply.
Rajekuzzaman Ratan, general secretary of BAS said, there is a food shortage, again we are plagued by high prices of food and food poisoning. If you go to the hospitals, you can see how many thousands of people are sick and suffering. Along with food poisoning, what is the guarantee that the food we are eating in the name of luxury food online is not poison free? He expressed solidarity with this movement and said that his party and he will be associated with such activities.
Fellow of the organization Prof. Dr. AKM Riazul Hasan, Poultry Association President Sumon Howladar, Gorjo President Litu, human rights activist Md. Manzoor Hossain Isa, Swapan Howladar, organization publicity secretary Sheikh Farid and others also spoke at the meeting.
While speaking as the president speech, Mohiuddin Ahmed said that, at present, citizens are eager to buy high-priced food items in the country. Among these, adulteration, adding formalin and chemicals in these foods have resulted in food poisoning. The same amount of money that is needed to buy food has to be bought for medicine. People get sick after consuming these foods. Food security is essential to avoid this. Safe Food Authority and Safe Food Act should be enforced. Maximum punishment should be ensured for those responsible. There is no monitoring or regulation of what kind of food is being offered online. In the digital age, people are consuming poison with food while sitting at home. We have noticed that online food delivery orders are around Tk 1000 to Tk 1500 crore. Among them, a multinational company alone supplies food worth about Tk 900 crores annually. With the increase in income and technology of the people of the country, online food ordering will continue to increase day by day. In 2026, this market can stand at around Tk 5 thousand crore. But there are many complaints about food safety online and service charges, underweight, not delivering food on time, charging more than the price shown in the offer. Moreover, do not take back spoiled food. Charging 3 taka as additional platform fee along with food price and delivery fee while taking order on app is completely unreasonable.
Alleging that the online food delivery companies are collecting extra money from the customers, he also said that although the food safety authority has provisions up to death penalty for food adulteration and harmful mixtures for health, there is no policy or authority monitoring to take care of how and what process of online food delivery is being done. Online companies have been charging the customers with extra prices, extra service charges, and providing underweight and substandard food. Due to this, online customers are paying excess money as well as facing health loss and death. Last year, the mobile court raided the delivery outlet of the Panda House store in Gulshan 2 and imposed a fine of Tk 4 lakh. Complaints against them were cockroaches roaming on dates, chocolate eggs did not have expiry date and unhealthy environment. Food Panda had already been fined by the consumer department for overcharging. Moreover, on January 15, the Bangladesh Competition Commission fined this company about Tk 10 lakh due to unfair market competition. On the other hand, the Income Tax Department has also accused the government of not giving the ten percent relationship tax.
