According to the recently issued ‘Safe Food Regulations, 2026’, two types of approvals — registration and license — have been arranged based on the type of business.
Economy
Registration required even for selling food on sidewalks
According to the regulations, ordinary restaurants, bakeries, juice bars, catering services, sweet shops, and sidewalk mobile food vendors must obtain registration.
On the other hand, licensing has been made mandatory subject to stringent conditions for high-risk food sectors including baby food, fortified food, organic products, cold storage, and import and wholesale business of edible oil.
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The validity of both registration and license has been set at three years. The registration fee is one thousand taka. And the license fee has been set from one thousand to a maximum of forty thousand taka, depending on the size and type of business.
The regulations further state that the license number or QR code must be displayed on the packaging, bill, or cash memo of each food product. If a business is operated in violation of the provisions, there is provision for legal action including imprisonment and financial fines.
However, mixed reactions have been observed among the business community regarding this new regulation.
Kamruzzaman Kamal, Marketing Director of Pran-RFL Group, claimed that currently multiple approvals are required from various government agencies to operate a food business. With the addition of the new registration and licensing system, business operating costs and administrative complications may increase further. He also questioned BFSA's implementation capability.
The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has expressed similar concerns. According to its president, A.H.M. Shafiquzzaman, BFSA currently does not have the necessary manpower to oversee a huge number of establishments ranging from sidewalk vendors to large supermarkets. This may create challenges in implementation. Additionally, there is concern that the impact of extra costs will eventually fall on consumers.
Regarding these concerns, BFSA member Anwarul Islam Sarkar said that strict measures will not be taken against small or sidewalk vendors in the initial phase. First, the focus will be on large industrial food-producing establishments.
He further informed that establishments approved by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) will not face any immediate complications. However, BFSA's monitoring activities will continue to ensure food quality and safety.