They also said the FDCA would help the government control the quality of food, drug, medical equipment, cosmetics and agricultural and chemical products.

It would also boost export, increase tax, create employment opportunity of the educated people, control price of those products and most importantly the import items would not be able to capture the local market badly, experts viewed.

University of Development Alternative (UODA) organised the workshop where research findings of market survey also stressed the need for an FDCA like USA, which shall regulate, inspect and test all food materials, chemicals, cosmetics, drugs and medical devices.

Mujib Khan of UODA presented the keynote paper where he elaborated the structure and function of FDCA and said this body would be able to play an important role as part of good governance.

Six directorates, including food, drug, cosmetics and chemicals would be involved in FDCA and would work in a coordinated way under continuous monitoring system, he said adding that around Tk 120 crore might be spent to run the organisation but if it is made a Public Limited Company (PLC), it could earn eight times higher than its expenditure.

Prof of the department of Pharmacy of Dhaka University ABM Faroque said lack of coordination prevails in the ministries that lead the fraudulent businessmen to adulterate food, drugs and cosmetics, which is hazardous for health.

"It requires alternative, visionary and effective steps to protect peoples' health," he added.

We are living in a state of failure and a market of failure where it is urgent to form an autonomous body consisting of government officials, academicians and businessmen, said Prof Muzaffer Ahmed, chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (Cab) General Secretary Kazi Farook said Consumers' Protection Act should be promulgated as an ordinance as there is no example of protecting the rights of consumers by the law of penal code.

Vice Chancellor of UODA Prof Eamjuddin Ahmed delivered the concluding speech while among others former president of Bangladesh Medical Association Prof Rashid E Mahbub, Prof Mohammad Rahmatullah of UODA, Shahabuddin Kabir Chowdhury of Jahangirnagar University, General Secretary of Pharmacy Graduate Association Ishtiaq Ahmed and Magistrate Rokon Ud-Doula also spoke on the occasion.