Although a plan had been taken by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) to bring the street food vendors in the city under the monitoring and licensing system, their plan has not been effective till now.
Rights activists, experts on public health and people from other authorities concerned said that although street food vendors run their business illegally and unhygienically in urban areas, the street food vending is the main income source of many poor people. The street food became an integral part of the urban food culture
However, the experts and the rights activists are concerned about the lack of hygiene of the street-vended food.
Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, secretary at the Center for Law and Policy Affairs (CLPA); said that the street food vendors play a vital role in meeting the food demand of many urban people.
They provide a variety of food for the low-income and middle-income people at a relatively cheap price. So, the street food-vending should be brought under rules and regulations, he added.
Talking to Bangladesh Post on Friday (February 10), the public health and environment policy expert opined that a policy on the street food vending is needed to ensure safe and healthy food for the people in cities and towns.
Meanwhile, ten lawyers on Thursday (February 9) sent a legal notice to the government and others concerned to stop the sale of various types of unhealthy food in dirty environment in front of hospitals, schools-colleges, markets and on footpaths/sidewalks.
The notice has been sent to a total of seven people, including secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, inspector general of police, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services, director general of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection and the two chief executive officers of Dhaka North and South City Corporations. They were asked to take action within 24 hours of receiving the legal notice.
Supreme Court lawyer Md JR Khan sent the legal notice on behalf of the ten lawyers. The other lawyers who sent the legal notice are Supreme Court lawyer Shammi Akhter, Dhaka Judge Court lawyers Md Bahauddin Al Imran, Md Hasan Milu, Abid Hossain, Imran Hossain, Zahid Hasan Fahad, ATM Rezaun, Shahen Shah, Md Arshad Ali and Md Sumon Hossain.
According to the legal notice, consumption of food is essential for survival, but if the food is unsafe, then it can lead to various diseases and death of people.
At present, many types of unhealthy delicacies are sold in dirty surroundings, including in front of various hospitals, schools-colleges and markets in the capital; which is very threatening to public health, reads the notice.
“In many countries of the world, street food is prepared and served in a hygienic environment. But most of the street food preparation and sale in Bangladesh do not maintain any hygiene,” reads the legal notice.
It also reads, “Contaminated water, dust, unsanitary environment make most street food unsafe. As a result, a large number of people who eat these foods every day, are at great health risk.”
The notice also reads that the roads and sidewalks where street foods are sold belong to the two city corporations of Dhaka. Dhaka North and South City Corporations have no system for registering or approving street food stalls. So, the authorities concerned don’t not have a list of street food vendors.
The activities of the Food Safety Authority, which is responsible for monitoring food quality, is very limited in relation to street food.
Therefore, the lawyers asked to take necessary measures to stop the sale of various types of unhealthy tasty food in front of various hospitals, schools, colleges, markets.
However, in case of failure to do so, the lawyers mentioned they will file a writ petition in the high court.
