The state organisations are extorting money from restaurant owners in the current situation while conducting drives at the eateries, claimed the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association (BROA) on Monday.

Apart from this, the owners are also being forced to obtain licences in exchange for bribes, the BROA complained at a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

Imran Hasan, BROA secretary general, read out a written statement at the event, while Osman Gani, president of the association, and other leaders were also present there.

The secretary general said arrests of restaurant employees and raids have not stopped even during the month of Ramadan. “Due to the negative publicity, the presence of customers has decreased in restaurants.”  

He said, “This sector has not developed overnight. It has developed by obtaining licences/permits and by paying VAT and taxes to the government. Obtaining a licence is time-consuming and complex due to the complexity of government procedures.”

Mentioning that about 12 organisations are monitoring the restaurant industry, Imran said their association applied to the government to bring all the restaurant services under an organisation and thus issue licences.

Urging the authorities concerned to make the process easy of getting licences, he said while issuing a licence, authorities seek such documents which are impractical or impossible to provide.

Imran said restaurant closure is not a solution rather a high-level task force can be formed for a permanent solution.

He called on the government to protect investment and employment in the country’s restaurant sector, stop harassment, and open the closed eateries that were sealed off during the recent drives.

If these drives are not stopped, Imran said, the association would submit a memorandum to the prime minister and form a human chain on Wednesday for the sake of the restaurant business and the livelihoods of employees, officials, and owners.

After this, a programme of keeping restaurants closed for an entire day would be held across the country, he said, adding that if necessary, all restaurants would be kept closed for an indefinite period later.

Different government organisations started their drives at restaurants following a deadly fire that ripped through a building, housing a number of eateries, on New Bailey Road in Dhaka on 29 February. At least 46 people were killed in the incident.