Dhaka, April 8 -- laced fish to adulterated spices, food safety has long been a lingering concern for consumers across Bangladesh.

Now, in a significant step towards restoring public confidence and strengthening oversight, the government is planning to establish a state-of-the-art reference laboratory in Dhaka alongside two modern food testing laboratories in Chattogram and Khulna divisions by 2031.

The project, part of the Food Testing Capacity Development Project supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aims to modernise the country's fragmented food testing system and enhance its ability to detect contamination with greater accuracy and speed.

A system under pressure

At present, mobile laboratory vans conduct...