Hirajheel Hotel fined Tk3 lakh under food safety law

A mobile court has fined Hirajheel Hotel, a popular eatery in Motijheel in the capital, Tk3 lakh for violating food safety regulations.

The mobile court, led by Executive Magistrate Anupam Das Anup, conducted the drive at the hotel on Wednesday.

During the inspection, the mobile court found the hotel’s kitchen in an extremely dirty and unhygienic condition. The floor was dirty and damp while an uncovered waste container was found in the kitchen, according to a press release.

The authorities also found unlabelled ghee being stored and used at the restaurant. Food handlers were not using any protective health equipment, according to the inspection team.

The hotel authorities also failed to produce a water-testing certificate and proof of pest-control measures during the drive.

The hotel authorities admitted to the offences, following which the mobile court fined the establishment Tk3,00,000 under the Safe Food Act, 2013. The fine was collected immediately.

Meherin Zarin Tasnim, food safety officer of Dhaka Metropolitan area; Md Aslam Bhuiyan, food safety inspector; other support staff of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority and a team of Ansar members were present during the operation.