Religious Affairs Ministry gets formal mandate for halal standards, certification

The Religious Affairs Ministry has been formally assigned responsibility for setting halal standards and issuing halal certification in Bangladesh, following an amendment to the Rules of Business, 1996.

The Cabinet Division published the amended notification in the official gazette on Sunday (August 23), bringing halal standards and certification under the ministry's defined areas of responsibility.

The amendment was made under the authority granted to the President by Article 55(6) of the Constitution. It adds a new item to Schedule I of the Rules of Business under the section titled "Ministry of Religious Affairs."

The newly inserted item, numbered 23, covers "matters relating to halal standard and certification," formally establishing the ministry’s administrative responsibility for the sector.

Under the revised framework, matters including the development and determination of halal standards and the issuance of halal certificates will fall under the Religious Affairs Ministry.

The ministry's subordinate agency, the Islamic Foundation, has long been involved in issuing halal certificates for various products and establishments. However, questions had previously remained over the legal and institutional basis for overseeing halal standards and certification.

The amendment gives the sector a clearer administrative footing and could pave the way for a more structured system for setting halal standards and managing certification in Bangladesh.