Doctors as well as health rights activists have demanded finalisation of the trans-fat limiting law immediately for the sake of public health.
They made the call from a virtual human chain on Monday.
The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority has prepared draft regulations for limiting trans-fats in food products that is yet to be finalised.
Industrially produced trans-fat is a toxic food element that causes increased risks of deaths from heart diseases.
Globally, almost 500,000 people die due to trans-fat-induced heart diseases.
The World Health Organization has set the target to eliminate trans-fat from the global food supply by 2023.
The National Heart Foundation, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), and some other civil society organisations, professionals and people from different ages and socioeconomic strata, took part in the human chain with placards, festoons using Facebook.
They urged the speedy finalisation of the "Limiting Trans Fatty Acid in Food Products Regulations 2021".
Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Professor at the Dept. of Epidemiology and Research of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, said the prevalence of heart diseases in Bangladesh is increasing day by day.
“Trans-fat in food is a major cause of heart diseases. Hence, it is highly necessary to finalize the regulations on limiting trans-fat as soon as possible to reduce the risk of heart diseases.”
Executive Director of PROGGA ABM Zubair said the sooner the regulation on limiting trans-fat is implemented, the sooner public health will be safeguarded from risks of heart diseases.