Bangladesh Food Safety Authority
Profile
- Head
- Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar
- Role
- Chairman
- Annual budget
- —
- Staff
- 309
- Established
- 2015
- Legal basis
- Food Safety Act, 2013 (Act No. 43 of 2013), enacted by the Parliament of Bangladesh on 10 October 2013, repealing the Pure Food Ordinance 1959 and other fragmented prior laws; BFSA formally constituted under Section 5 of the Act on 2 February 2015
BFSA is conducting ongoing district-level mobile court enforcement drives targeting food adulteration and hygiene violations in restaurants, sweet shops, and food producers; Ramadan 2026 operations included intensified inspection of iftar food handlers and training for safe food preparation; the authority faces a structural capacity constraint (309 staff, no independent laboratory, only 306 restaurants graded nationally against 436,000 operating) while enforcement demand exceeds operational reach.
Recent activity
- 2026-02-06 regulation BFSA-supported Safe Food Court fined three hotels and restaurants in Rajshahi a combined Tk 5 lakh (Nanking Darbar Hall Tk 1 lakh, Rana Sweet Shop Tk 1 lakh, Tripti Hotel Tk 3 lakh) for expired and adulterated ingredients including burnt oil, fungus-infested cutting boards, spoiled lentils, non-iodized salt, and unlabeled products; one establishment received orders for a regular case filing. ↗
- 2026-02-26 regulation BFSA-coordinated mobile court fined Mouban Bakery Tk 80,000 and Modhumoti Mishti Bhandar Tk 10,000 (total Tk 90,000) in Kachari Bazar, Rangpur, for using prohibited substances in food and manufacturing through illegal processes without proper packaging; operation conducted jointly with RAB-13 and the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection. ↗
- 2026-03-01 regulation BFSA mobile court fined Barcode Sweets and Confectionery Tk 150,000 and Mithai (Panchlaish, Chattogram) Tk 60,000 (total Tk 210,000) for producing food in a damp, pest-infested kitchen with damaged refrigerator, improperly labelled ghee items, and missing purchase/sales records; fines paid on-site. ↗
- 2026-03-05 regulation BFSA mobile court fined Satkania Bhat Ghar Tk 10,000 and Home Recipe and Sweets Tk 300,000 (total Tk 310,000) during drives in Chawkbazar and Garibullah Shah areas, Chattogram; violations included cockroaches and rats in the kitchen, use of unauthorized chemicals in jilapi production, missing worker health certificates, expired food on premises, and open dustbins. ↗
- 2026-05-09 other BFSA Chairman Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar attended the 8th National Scientific Conference on Food Safety and Health organized by the Bangladesh Society for Safe Food (BSSF) at Dhaka Regency Hotel and Resort; conference addressed uncontrolled use of harmful elements and antibiotics in food as a severe public health threat; State Minister Sultan Salauddin Tuku called for coordinated government-private efforts to protect public health. ↗↗
Provenance & notes
BFSA was constituted on 2 February 2015 under Section 5 of the Food Safety Act, 2013 (enacted 10 October 2013), replacing fragmented prior legislation including the Pure Food Ordinance 1959. It operates as an autonomous statutory body under the Ministry of Food, distinct from DGFood (which handles procurement and distribution) and from BSTI (which handles standards and quality under the Ministry of Industries). The authority is governed by a five-member decision-making body and its mobile courts are presided over by executive magistrates. Chairman Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar confirmed at the 8th National Scientific Conference on Food Safety and Health (May 9, 2026), where he appeared as BFSA Chairman. Previous chairman identified as 'Mr Zakaria' (appointed March 2024 per Wikipedia); Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar's precise appointment date could not be confirmed from available primary sources -- head_since left null. Staff count of 309 is the sanctioned officer strength across all posts as reported in the Prothom Alo investigative piece (February 2024); 19 of these are headquarters-level posts (chairman, members, secretary, directors). BFSA has no independent testing laboratory as of the latest available information; sample analysis is outsourced to BFSA-accredited external labs. Fiscal year 2022-23 enforcement record: 165 mobile court drives, 136 persons prosecuted, Tk 1.59 crore in fines, 11,754 food establishments inspected, 1,070 samples tested (91 non-compliant). Restaurant grading program: only 306 restaurants graded over five years against approximately 436,000 operating nationally, a structural gap flagged by Prothom Alo. Ramadan 2026 enforcement: BFSA district offices in Pabna and Sylhet documented training of iftar food workers on safe preparation practices. Mobile court fine amounts in the 90-day window are confirmed from BSS primary reports: Rajshahi (Tk 5 lakh, Feb 6), Rangpur (Tk 90,000, Feb 26), Chattogram two operations (Tk 210,000 on Mar 1, Tk 310,000 on Mar 5). All four enforcement actions verified against BSS district bureau reports.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh_Food_Safety_Authority
- https://bangladeshbiosafety.org/food-safety-act-2013-eng/
- https://bfsa.gov.bd/
- https://www.bssnews.net/district/358270
- https://www.bssnews.net/district/364210
- https://www.bssnews.net/district/365029
- https://www.bssnews.net/district/366284
- https://www.bssnews.net/others/385532
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/health/409751/salauddin-tuku-food-safety-needs-coordinated
- https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/uwd8k4vucq
- https://mofood.gov.bd/site/page/1a8c7be9-5090-4306-aaa5-7d972d254d83/Officers-of-Bangladesh-Food-Safety-Authority