Weddings and various social events have fallen under the clutches of corporate monopoly syndicates. In community centers and club halls, guests could previously be entertained by the chefs of their choice. That freedom to hire their own chefs is no longer there. Community centers and clubs are forced to take food from registered caterers. And catering companies have to pay Tk 10 to 50 lakhs to get registered in these centers and clubs.
Consumers have become hostages to their monopoly. As a result, they have to shell out extra money to organize social events in Dhaka. Under the grip of these corporates, renowned chefs in Dhaka are struggling to make ends meet. Many are changing their professions. Those concerned are calling this trend of registering chefs in community centers and clubs an act that is against business competition.
They say that the Competition Commission should take action in this situation. Listing for Tk 50 lakhs is a kind of extortion.
Chefs are demanding the dismantling of syndicates in community centers and clubs across the capital Dhaka. They have been holding various programs, including press conferences and human chains, to this end since 2017. They say that the ‘listing’ syndicate in government and private community centers, halls, and clubs should be dismantled and opened to all chefs. Those who register and form a syndicate by depositing Tk 50 lakh are not real chefs. They have urged them to investigate the source of that money. Real chefs can’t earn Tk 1 million even after working for 40 to 50 years. This syndicate is taking advantage of consumers by taking extra money and extorting money. Consumers should be given freedom so that they can freely entertain people with the chef of their choice. As a social event center, the cost of the city corporation’s community center is lower than that of private centers. Therefore, the lower and middle class prefer the community centers of the City Corporation for organizing weddings and any social events.
Former Mayor Fazle Noor Taposh introduced the rule of enrolling in cooking at the community center of the South City Corporation. Cooks had to enroll by submitting a pay order of Tk 2 lakh to Tk 5 lakh to the City Corporation for each community center. After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in the mass uprising of students and the public, the barbecuers are no longer following this rule. Dhaka South City Corporation has 36 community centers. And Dhaka North City Corporation has 13 community centers. Since 5 centers are being repaired and used for government purposes, various events can currently be organized in 8 community centers.
To organize a social event at the Officers Club in Dhaka, food from the listed catering company has to be taken. It is known that Tk 50 lakh has to be deposited for enrollment in the Officers Club.
Regarding the experience of organizing his daughter’s wedding at the Officers’ Club, Nizam Mollah, a cloth merchant from Islampur, said, “Lal Mia’s chef from Lalbagh cooks for any of our family events. That’s how we are used to it. But you can’t cook with an outside chef at the Officers’ Club. Everything has to be done by a few appointed chefs. You can’t entertain with satisfaction.” Similarly, there are listed catering at the Police Convention Center. There is no opportunity to cook with any other chef outside the eight listed catering. These are - Master Safe Subrat Ali Catering, Ibrahim Catering, Fakhruddin Catering, Kausar Catering, Salam Catering, Alibaba Catering, Haji Md. Abdur Rahim Catering, Iqbal Hossain Catering. At the Krishibid Convention at Farmgate, Iqbal Catering has to arrange food. Although the elite Senamalancha, Senakunj, Sena Paragon and Rawa Convention are listed catering. The listed catering at Rawa Convention Hall are Kamal Hossain Catering, Iqbal Hossain Catering, Salam Catering, Moslem and Sons Catering, Rahman and Sons, Nuruzzaman Catering and Casserole Catering.
Pintu Mia, a chef from Dhanmondi in the capital, has completed 50 years in the profession. His students are now renowned chefs.
Chef Pintu Mia said in the light of time, ‘The community centers and clubs in Dhaka are syndicating and closing our business. I have completed 50 years in this profession. Now there is no work. We can’t run our families. In this way, many chefs are no longer able to run their families.’
He said that brokers have taken over all the community centers and clubs by syndicating. Everyone is hostage to them. For registration, you have to pay Tk 1 million to Tk 5 million. This is not possible for a real chef.
He said, community centers, clubs will rent a hall for events. They will rent a hall for Tk 5 lakh. They will rent the hall. Why will they fix the food, why will they fix the cook?
Pintu the chef also said, there is a story that I cooked for his father’s wedding. I cooked for his wedding. But he can’t get me to cook for his child’s wedding. The center that has rented has to take food from the registered caterer. Many regret that the guests are not happy with the food at the event. They come and cry. They say that their dignity and respect are all gone.
He said, architecture will be needed to build a multi-storey building, an engineer will be needed. If a multi-storey building is built with masonry, how will they know how much earthquake resistance, rods, and cement will be needed.
He said, the chefs pay income tax. They have trade licenses, VAT certificates. He complained that they are registered by depositing lakhs of taka and are serving substandard adulterated food.
Md. Imtiaz Baburchi said in the light of time, the entire syndicate has put the cooks in trouble. You can’t work in centers like Officers Club, Police Convention, Senakunj, Sena Malancha, Rawa Convention. You have to pay Tk 20 lakh toTk 50 lakh. You also have to be registered in the community center of the city corporation. Former mayor of the South City Corporation Fazle Noor Taposh introduced this system. He demanded that this syndicate be disbanded.
Bangladesh BaburchiOikya Parishad President MotalebBaburchi said in the light of time, there is no opportunity for cooks to work outside the registration. Everyone has formed a syndicate. No one has the opportunity to work outside them.
He said, we have been agitating for our just demands since 2017. We held press conferences, formed human chains.
Stating that six catering establishments were registered at the Officers Club for Tk 3 crore, he said, there was a wedding ceremony of 2000 guests at the Officers Club. I could not do that work. I had to work for a listed caterer. To do the event, the listed caterer demanded Tk 120 per person.
He said, where my wage is Tk 1 lakh; and his demand is Tk 2 lakh 40 thousand. I could not do the work.
Feku Mia Catering, Fakhruddin Catering and Iqbal Catering were contacted regarding the corporate monopoly in cooking for weddings and various social events. However, the companies did not agree to comment on this matter. Those who were contacted on these matters asked to contact someone higher up.
When asked how to contact someone higher up, they did not tell anything.
Golam Rahman, former president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said in the light of time that such a monopoly is against fair competition.
He thinks that the matter should be brought to the attention of the Competition Commission.
He said, in the case of enrollment, clubs or community centers may say that they are doing this to maintain quality. Then why do we have to pay Tk 50 lakh for enrollment? This is a kind of extortion.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Vice President SM Nazer Hossain told Daily Industry that such monopoly business is completely immoral. The entire financial burden falls on the shoulders of the consumer. Such methods must be eliminated to stop the syndicate. By leaving the consumers in the clutches of the syndicate, a kind of authoritarian attitude develops among them.
