The Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association (BROA) has said the country’s restaurant sector is facing a severe crisis due to fuel shortages, high inflation, harassment in the name of trade unions, multiple layers of regulatory control and the unchecked spread of illegal street food businesses. To address the situation, the association has placed six demands, including the introduction of a one-stop service for the sector. He also claimed that a powerful syndicate has made it difficult to control LPG prices, adding to the financial burden on restaurant owners. Extortion and regulatory harassmentRestaurant owners also alleged regular extortion by certain groups operating under the guise of trade unions, warning that attacks and vandalism occur when demands are not met. Election manifesto focusReferring to the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election, BROA leaders said around two crore people are directly and indirectly involved in the restaurant sector, with about three million employed.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 13, 2026 08:49 UTC