The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) is more concerned with food hygiene and not with food safety, with senseless adulteration reaching an alarming level.
Any hotel, restaurant or bakery can get away with the crime of food adulteration or poisonous food by maintaining hygiene only.
The BFSA, the core function of which is food safety, is shirking responsibilities by invoking religious motivation and political commitment instead of taking action or enforcing laws against offenders.
Even Syeda Sarwar Jahan, chairman of the lone food safety authority, signalled that traders could raise price in the interests of adulteration at eateries.
These were revealed during a 'Grading Certificate Ceremony to the Hotel, Restaurant, Sweet Shops and Producers' hosted by BFSA at a city hotel on Sunday.
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder was present at the event as the chief guest and food secretary Najmanara Khanam as the special guest.
Thirteen restaurants got 'A' sticker, nine 'B' and seven 'C' stickers.
Sunday's event was the second one. Previously, 57 hotels, restaurants and bakeries were certified.
In his welcome speech, BFSA member Mahbub Kabir Milon said food safety is a huge area, but they are currently working on food hygiene and not on food safety.
"We're focusing on a meagre issue like hygiene only and not from safety perspective. We are not considering whether the food entering your restaurants or hotels is adulterated or contaminated."
The prime minister has created the BFSA by which scope has been created to explore the shocking scenario of food adulteration, Mr Milon mentioned.
"We've explored and interfered in areas like pesticide, heavy metal, import-level adulteration and contamination of paddy, rice, soil and water."
"But we have not published or publicised our findings unless we could become successful," he said.
Mr Milon spoke about the ongoing mobile court drive.
Minister Mr Chandra said those who deal with food are dealing with human life. They are guided by their conscience…, he added.
Penalising hoteliers and restaurateurs will not address this adulteration problem. They must not misuse the grading certificates and breach public trust, he cited.
"Those who breach public trust will be held responsible to the Creator and be punished on the Day of the Last Judgement."
"Even they will be punished by nature in society," Mr Chandra went onto say.
Mosque imams can preach for two minutes the evils of food adulteration before prayers. Class teachers should also do the same job, he suggested.
Ms Jahan said the stakeholders of food chain are partners of the BFSA and not opponents. Eighteen ministries and departments are working on food safety.
"People usually adulterate food out of greed. If you find that the food cost is rising, you should increase the price instead of adulterating," she suggested.
When asked, Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman said the core function of the BFSA is to ensure food safety.
It is necessary to see whether hygiene falls under their mandate. Hygiene can be the secondary or tertiary function, he told the FE.
"Motivation, preaching and ethical guidance are necessary, but not enough. Mobile court drive is not effective as we see the degradation of food quality countrywide," Mr Zaman said.
"The main function of BFSA is to ensure accountability of food traders and punish the violators of laws. It's imperative to punish them to control adulteration and ensure food safety."
Mr Zaman, however, said failure to punish the offenders raises questions whether the food safety authority is providing them shelter or being held hostage.
