The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of the Production, Storage, Movement, Transportation, Supply, Distribution, and Marketing of Foodgrains (Prevention of Prejudicial Activity) Act, 2022 providing for punishment for offenses in any stage of the food supply chain.

The approval came from the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office here. “If anyone commits an offense under the proposed law, the person would be awarded maximum five-year jail or highest Tk 10 lakh as fine,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat.

He said the proposed law was brought by merging two existing laws -- Foodgrains Supply (Prevention of Prejudicial Activity) Ordinance, 1979 and the Food (Special Courts) Act, 1956 with a view to ensure quality food items.

The cabinet secretary said tougher punishment has been proposed in the draft law to prevent offenses and misleading information in the stages of production, Storage, Movement, Transportation, Supply, Distribution and Marketing of food grains.

Besides, the draft of Attia Forest (Protection) Act, 2022 was placed in the meeting, but the Cabinet directed the authorities concerned to bring it again after conducting a digital survey over its lands.

The Cabinet earlier approved in principle the proposed law on October 28, 2021. The digital survey is essential as the nature of its lands changed in different areas. Otherwise, it would create problems, said the cabinet secretary.

The meeting was informed that the digital survey could be completed within 3-4 months after getting approval of the purchase committee, he said.
Anwarul Islam said the land comprising of some 59,000 acres in Tangail and Dhaka districts was first declared as reserved forest through a law in 1928. Since the law lost its effectiveness, the Attia Forest (Protection) Ordinance, 1982 was promulgated during the military regime.