The government will not allow beef imports for the sake of the local industry and will amend the existing law, if needed.
Livestock Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda came up with the statement at a media briefing on Wednesday.
“I have discussed the matter with the commerce minister and he agreed. We are determined not to import beef,” Chanda said.
“Local farmers as well as the whole industry will be ruined if the import is allowed,” he added.
The minister said Bangladesh’s annual demand for beef is some 7.9 million tonnes and the production last year stood at 7.1 million tonnes.
Citing data from the Tariff Commission, the media reported that almost 20 tonnes of beef were imported in fiscal 2016-17.
Frozen beef from India, Australia and Malaysia costs almost half the price of the locally-produced meat, according to media reports.
Replying to a query on the Tariff Commission report, the minister said he was not aware of the matter.
In a media briefing last year, the association of Dhaka-based meat traders opposed a plan to import beef from neighbouring India, says bdnews24.
They said Indian beef may cost less in the beginning, but gradually it will control the whole market, just like the case of onion.