Who is liable if a catering supplier serves food that makes guests sick?

In the first instance, the catering supplier — under the Safe Food Act, 2013 and the general negligence principles of the law of tort, a food supplier is responsible for the safety of the food it serves. Where the catering contract is between the supplier and an event organiser, an indemnity clause should require the supplier to indemnify the organiser against consumer claims arising from food-safety issues traceable to the supplier. This clause is standard and should never be waived.

What is a reasonable cancellation policy for a banquet-hall booking?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but the market standard in Bangladesh is a graduated policy: full refund of the advance if cancelled well in advance (typically 60 days or more), partial refund inside shorter windows (e.g. 30-59 days: 50% refund, 15-29 days: 25% refund), and full forfeiture within 14 days of the event. Whatever numbers you use, spell them out in the contract and get them acknowledged — a vague 'non-refundable advance' clause invites disputes.

Food & Hospitality

Food and hospitality agreements — restaurant / hotel supply, catering, hotel booking, tiffin service, private-chef, banquet-hall booking, food-court vendor contracts — combine the elements of ordinary commercial supply contracts (delivery, price, quality, payment) with food-safety obligations that make this category distinctive. Because a food-related dispute can involve public-health consequences, the written contract should not only fix the commercial terms but also make explicit who is responsible for food-safety compliance, hygiene certification, and liability for any consumer complaint traced back to the food supplied.

Stamp & registrationMost food / hospitality contracts run on Tk. 300 non-judicial stamp. Food-related businesses in Bangladesh are regulated under the Safe Food Act, 2013 (Nirapod Khadya Ain), and any supply, catering or banquet contract should reference the supplier's compliance with the applicable food-safety and hygiene rules. Where the contract involves a hotel room booking or an event booking with a cancellation window, spell out the refund policy explicitly — it is the single most common dispute in this space.

Contract types in this category

Frequently asked questions

Who is liable if a catering supplier serves food that makes guests sick?: In the first instance, the catering supplier — under the Safe Food Act, 2013 and the general negligence principles of the law of tort, a food supplier is responsible for the safety of the food it serves. Where the catering contract is between the supplier and an event organiser, an indemnity clause should require the supplier to indemnify the organiser against consumer claims arising from food-safety issues traceable to the supplier. This clause is standard and should never be waived.
What is a reasonable cancellation policy for a banquet-hall booking?: There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but the market standard in Bangladesh is a graduated policy: full refund of the advance if cancelled well in advance (typically 60 days or more), partial refund inside shorter windows (e.g. 30-59 days: 50% refund, 15-29 days: 25% refund), and full forfeiture within 14 days of the event. Whatever numbers you use, spell them out in the contract and get them acknowledged — a vague 'non-refundable advance' clause invites disputes.

Food & Hospitality

Frequently asked questions

Who is liable if a catering supplier serves food that makes guests sick?: In the first instance, the catering supplier — under the Safe Food Act, 2013 and the general negligence principles of the law of tort, a food supplier is responsible for the safety of the food it serves. Where the catering contract is between the supplier and an event organiser, an indemnity clause should require the supplier to indemnify the organiser against consumer claims arising from food-safety issues traceable to the supplier. This clause is standard and should never be waived.
What is a reasonable cancellation policy for a banquet-hall booking?: There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but the market standard in Bangladesh is a graduated policy: full refund of the advance if cancelled well in advance (typically 60 days or more), partial refund inside shorter windows (e.g. 30-59 days: 50% refund, 15-29 days: 25% refund), and full forfeiture within 14 days of the event. Whatever numbers you use, spell them out in the contract and get them acknowledged — a vague 'non-refundable advance' clause invites disputes.