Unregistered Restaurants Increasing Health Risks

It would not be wrong to call Dhaka a city of restaurants. From busy main roads to narrow alleyways, small and large food outlets have sprung up wherever space is available. For city residents, these restaurants have also become a major source of entertainment. While a wave of businesses has entered the sector and serves a variety of foods, no one appears to monitor whether the food is actually safe. There is also no clear way to know whether these restaurants have approvals from all required government agencies.

Fahima Nusrat enjoys eating out. She visits restaurants not only on special occasions such as birthdays but also whenever she feels like avoiding cooking. Asked how she selects restaurants, she said, “I check reviews in different Facebook groups. Sometimes I go in if I like the décor. I like the food in some places, and in others, I don’t at all. But you cannot know the taste beforehand if you don’t try, right?”

She admitted that she does not consider whether a restaurant has government approval or whether the food is safe. Like Fahima, many people spend significant money eating at restaurants but do not pay attention to food quality, government registration, or kitchen hygiene.

According to 2025 statistics from the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association, the country has a total of 482,000 restaurants, around 80 percent of which operate without registration. Data from the Dhaka District Commissioner’s office in March 2024 show that only 134 restaurants in Dhaka operate with all required approvals and licenses from government agencies. Of them, 128 are located under the two city corporations in the capital. Among Dhaka’s five upazilas, only six restaurants in Savar have valid licenses.

Although the number of restaurants continues to grow, the number of government-approved establishments has not increased at the same pace. Restaurants are being established everywhere without proper authorization.

To open a restaurant, operators must meet several conditions under the Safety Food Act 2013 to obtain full approval. The law requires that kitchens and service areas remain clean, hygienic, and disinfected. It also prohibits pest and rodent infestations and mandates regular pest control. Operators must use safe drinking water and maintain proper waste disposal systems. Raw fish and meat must be stored separately from cooked food and fruits to prevent contamination. Food must also be preserved at specified temperatures.

Visits to several unregistered restaurants revealed that these rules are largely ignored. Since these establishments are not registered, they do not go through the compliance process required under food safety regulations. As a result, despite attractive appearances, eating at these unapproved restaurants is increasing health risks.

When asked why operators do not obtain proper approval, several restaurant owners pointed to complicated licensing procedures. They said multiple agencies are involved in the approval process. Members of the owners’ association said opening a restaurant requires around 10 to 12 different certificates, and obtaining them can take several months, increasing both costs and complications. Renewing licenses also involves bureaucratic hurdles at government offices.

In addition, there is little regular monitoring to verify whether restaurants hold valid licenses. Since consumers also show limited concern, many business owners avoid the hassle of compliance.

Following the fire at a rooftop restaurant in the Green Cozy Cottage building on Bailey Road, authorities revoked trade licenses of rooftop and other restaurants operating in residential and commercial buildings that violated RAJUK building plans. City corporations have also tightened licensing rules, creating delays and a slowdown in new approvals. As a result, the number of registered restaurants has declined further.

Uneven Competition

Owners of registered restaurants say they regularly pay VAT on their sales. However, unregistered establishments evade taxes and sell food at lower prices than registered outlets. As a result, customers flock to these cheaper restaurants, leaving compliant businesses at a disadvantage and pushing them into losses.

According to National Board of Revenue (NBR) data at the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year, only 13,743 hotels and restaurants are registered in the country. Of them, 3,115 are hotels and 10,628 are restaurants. This means only 2.85 percent of establishments pay VAT.

Owner of Nawabi Bhoj, Dipu Choudhury, described the difficulties he faced while securing a restaurant license. He said he opened his restaurant in Mohammadpur in 2014 and applied for registration, finally receiving full approval in 2017 after completing all required steps.

He said establishments that fail to follow hygiene rules and remain outside NBR registration avoid taxes and sell food at lower prices. He said that this practice harms registered businesses. He also said he had to shut down two of his restaurants in Lalbagh and Mohammadpur due to these challenges.

Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association Secretary General Imran Hasan said simplifying the approval process would increase the number of registered restaurants. He added that reasonable tax rates would also boost government revenue while making food safety enforcement easier.

A university student named Naim said he often visits restaurants with friends on holidays but does not check whether they are registered. He said he worries that he may be exposed to health risks if the restaurants do not follow Bangladesh Food Safety Authority registration and hygiene standards.

Another young woman, Sumaiya, said she sometimes falls ill after eating out but does not think much about it. She added that she usually selects restaurants based on attractive décor.

The number of street food vendors is also increasing steadily across the country. Their presence is visible everywhere from schools, colleges, universities, and hospitals to shopping malls and roadside sidewalks. Many people enter the business easily with minimal investment and no need for approval, but they often fail to maintain basic hygiene standards.

A 2024 study on food hygiene knowledge among street food vendors in Dhaka was published in the journal Nature. It found that most participating vendors were aged between 25 and 34, and more than half had education up to secondary level. However, around 85 percent of them had never received any food safety training.

Despite the rapid growth of unregistered restaurants, the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate claims it conducts regular drives. Assistant Director of the Dhaka District Office Md. Abdul Jabbar Mondal said, “We are conducting regular drives. For registration issues, you need to ask the head of organization. I only work as their helping hand.”

Meanwhile, Safe Food Inspector Kamrul Hasan said the Dhaka South City Corporation regularly collects food samples from restaurants and submits reports to the administrator. He highlighted several challenges, saying neighboring countries provide science-based training that is not available locally. He also said the Safe Food Authority does not provide funding for sample collection equipment, so the city corporation bears the cost.

He added that inspection teams regularly visit restaurants to collect samples and submit weekly reports to the administrator. Referring to a recent case involving ‘Siraj Chuigosta’, he said, “We tested ghee from a well-known restaurant, and it contained less than 1 percent dairy content. Such incidents are happening regularly.”

Public health expert Dr. Mushtaq Hossain said simply demolishing unregistered outlets will not solve the problem. He said awareness must increase in street food businesses and customers must pressure vendors to follow hygiene practices, including the use of gloves. He also stressed that government agencies must regularly test food samples in restaurants and hotels and ensure training for all stakeholders.

He warned that otherwise, food- and water-borne diseases will increase. He added that failure to ensure food quality may lead to the accumulation of harmful trans fats in the body, increasing long-term risks of cancer and heart disease.