The cabinet yesterday gave the final approval to the draft of "Production, Storage, Transfer, Transportation, Supply, Distribution and Marketing of Food Products (prevention of prejudicial activity) Act-2023", keeping a provision for a maximum punishment of life imprisonment for illegal hoarding of food.

The approval came in a cabinet meeting held at Parliament Complex, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, reports BSS.

According to the proposed law, if a person stores more than the amount of food fixed by the government, or breaches any government instructions regarding stocking, he or she will be sentenced to life imprisonment or a maximum of 14 years' rigorous imprisonment and be handed fines as well.

Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain briefed reporters about the outcome of the meeting at the Secretariat.

If an accused can prove that he or she hoarded food without any financial or other profit motive, he or she will be sentenced to jail for a maximum three months and also be fined, according to the bill.

The bill was approved in principle by the cabinet on April 19 last year.

The crimes related to the production, storage, transfer, transportation, supply, marketing, distribution of food grains such as paddy, rice, wheat, flour and corn have been brought under the purview of this proposed law. Punishments have been suggested as per the magnitude of the crimes, the cabinet secretary said.

The proposed law, which has 20 sections, has been drafted combining the Food (Special Court) Act-1956 and the Food Grains Supply (Prevention of Prejudicial Activity) Ordinance-1979, he added.

Under the proposed law, the offence of supplying unsafe or adulterated food products to the market carries imprisonment ranging from two to five years and fine of up to Tk 10 lakh for.

The cabinet also approved the draft of Bangladesh Dairy Board Bill-2023.

The bill proposed to constitute a new body named "Bangladesh Dairy Development Board" to oversee the dairy related matters. The minister of fisheries and livestock has been proposed to be the ex-officio head of this board, consisting of total 19 members.

All those who are producing milk commercially or producing dairy food should come under the purview of this board.