Alcohol in Bangladesh
Alcohol in Bangladesh is regulated and restricted in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has one of the lowest alcohol consumption rates in the world according to a World Bank report published in 2015.[1]
History
[edit]The first distillery was set up in what is today Bangladesh in 1887 by an Englishman named Robert Russell Carew. The company was called Carew & Co (Bangladesh) Ltd and it was nationalised by the government of Bangladesh in 1973.[2] The distillery is part of the Darsana Sugar Mill owned by the state-owned enterprise Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation. It is the only sugar out of 15 state-owned mills that profit from the distillery. The distillery produces rum, brandy, gin and whisky.[3]
In 2003 the government of Bangladesh gave Jamuna Distillery Limited of Jamuna Group the licence to produce alcoholic beverages. Jamuna Distillery Limited was the first private company to be given a license to produce alcohol which ended the monopoly of the state-owned Carew & Co (Bangladesh) Ltd. Alcohol is sold in 5-star hotels and government-licensed bars.[4] In 2009 Jamuna launched Hunter branded beer in Bangladesh.[5]
Law
[edit]Under Bangladeshi law, any beverage containing more than 0.5% alcohol is considered an alcoholic beverage. A government permit is necessary for selling, storing and transporting alcohol. To drink alcohol in Bangladesh, one must have a legal permit, almost always given to non-Muslims. Muslims will need a medical prescription to obtain an alcohol permit. The prescription must be given by an associate professor of the medical college or a civil surgeon. Legal age of applying for a permit is 21.[6] Foreigners do not need a permit to drink inside licensed bars.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Bangladesh among abstinent countries when it comes to drinking". The Daily Star. 23 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Carew: Serving liquor since 1897". dhakatribune.com. Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Carew: The discreet distillery". dhakatribune.com. Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Bangladesh grants private liquor licence". 3 June 2002. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "First local beer debuts". The Daily Star. 2009-10-12. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
- ^ "Bangladesh's Once-In-A-Century Alcohol Reforms".
- ^ "Law and Our Rights". thedailystar.net. The Daily Star. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
