MYMENSINGH, Aug 30, 2025 (BSS) - A team of researchers from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has improved the quality of food at hotels in haor area, a popular tourism spot with natural beauty, which has opened the door to new economic possibilities.
 
The team consisting of three teachers, two students and an experienced member of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority was formed to train food traders in the haor area.
 
As a result, food safety and hygiene have improved in those hotels.
 
The teachers of the training team are BAU Department of Agricultural Economics Professor Dr. Sadika Haque, Department of Food Technology and Rural Industries Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Alim and Department of Medicine Associate Professor Dr Mst Sonia Parvin.
 
The project titled "Employment Creation through Food Safety and Hygiene Training for Food Business Workers in the Haor Region of Bangladesh" was launched in 2023 with the funding of City Bank. BAU Research System (BAURES) coordinated the project.
 
Professor Dr. Sadika Haque said, "Although the food processing industry in the haor region has potential, due to insufficient knowledge among the locals, transportation and infrastructure limitations, tourists often return with negative experiences after eating at local hotels. If this situation continues, the tourism industry in the haor region will be severely affected. For this, we realize the need for a quality food safety and hygiene training system for local hotel owners and employees."
 
She further said, the main objective of this training was to raise awareness about preparing and serving safe food in the haor area, which will not only make the tourism industry sustainable but also create new employment opportunities for the local people.
 
"Under the leadership of our team expert member Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Alim, we formulated an effective training module. In 2023, a research and training programme was undertaken in the haor area under the joint initiative of BAU and City Bank. We believe that this program will not only contribute to food safety and sanitation for local men and women, but also to developing tourist-friendly services," she added.
 
Regarding the training programme and field experience, Sonia Parveen said, in March 2023, they first visited Mithamoin, Nikli and Ashtagram areas and noticed unclean and unhygienic environment in local hotels.
 
"Later, taking these problems into consideration, we conducted a training programme for local restaurant workers as per the rules of the Bangladesh Food Safety Directorate," she added.
 
She mentioned that initially 30 men and women were trained in Mithamain, and then another 30-35 in Nikli.
 
In several stages, more than a hundred hotel owners and employees were trained, he added.
 
She also said that initially people expressed complete reluctance and their attitude was that they knew everything about cleanliness.
 
Then they were gradually talked to and brought to the training, she added.
 
"We completed the training by facing various challenges, including finding a good place to train, lack of adequate toilets, and travel restrictions," she said.
 
Regarding the training, Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Alim said the training mainly discussed food production, processing, food preparation, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, sales, and supply.
 
In the training, the concerned people were made aware of personal hygiene of food processing and serving workers, general cleanliness, food hygiene, food contamination and storage, and diseases in terms of food safety in the haor region, he added.
 
Regarding the success of the training, he said that the employees are now regularly keeping themselves clean and are also warning consumers about throwing garbage in specific places.
 
He said that awareness about cleanliness and health protection has increased in several hotels in Mithamain.
 
An employee of Bhati Bangla Restaurant said, "We have been in the hotel business in Mithamain for 18 years. Earlier, we were not so clean. Sir, madams came and trained us several times. Now there has been a change in us too. Along with this, the number of people for work has also increased, for which I am grateful to sirs and madams."

Local consumers and tourists have expressed their satisfaction. They said that the quality of food and the environment have improved than before.