The Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association has urged the government to allow limited beef imports to meet sector demand, ensure food security, and stabilize the domestic market amid surging prices.
The organization claimed that beef prices in local markets have climbed beyond the reach of average consumers due to a significant supply shortage relative to demand.
The demand was raised at a press conference held at a hotel in Purana Paltan on Saturday, where the association’s Secretary General, Imran Hassan, read out a written statement.
Addressing the media, Imran Hassan stated that maintaining an uninterrupted supply of high-quality beef has become a major challenge for urban restaurants.
He noted that beef is currently retailing between Tk 800 and Tk 1,000 per kilogram, making it unaffordable for ordinary citizens while supply remains inadequate.
He also raised concerns regarding the shift of cattle farming into corporate hands, which he said is pushing marginal farmers out of business.
Furthermore, he alleged that market syndicates have inflated animal feed prices, severely impacting rural livestock rearing and pushing small-scale farming near closure in many regions.
Reading out the written statement, Association Secretary General Imran Hassan stated that along with price hikes across nearly all essential food items—including rice, pulses, edible oil, meat, fish, spices, vegetables, and eggs—operational costs involving gas, electricity, LPG, water, rent, transportation, and labor have also escalated significantly.
He added that despite soaring inflation, most restaurants are unable to adjust menu prices for fear of losing customers. Consequently, overall sales across the restaurant sector have plummeted by up to 30 percent.
To address the situation, the association urged the government to allow beef imports under strict oversight and specific guidelines. They argued that such a step would stabilize supply, help control prices, improve food quality, and boost the country’s tourism and hospitality sectors.
Association leaders added that increasing beef availability would alleviate the current crisis in the restaurant industry, where elevated meat prices have forced businesses to bear heavy operational costs, ultimately driving up menu prices for customers.
Earlier in May, the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association had raised a similar demand, citing high local market prices and supply shortages.
Association President Shah Sultan Khokon, First Joint Secretary General Md. Firoz Alam Sumon, Organizing Secretary Toufiqur Islam, and Joint Organizing Secretary Kamrul Hasan Bipu, among others, were present at the press conference.