A Dhaka Safe Food Court has issued arrest warrants against Nestlé Bangladesh Managing Director Deepal Abeywickrema and Public Policy Manager Riasad Zaman after laboratory tests confirmed that KitKat chocolates imported and marketed in Bangladesh failed to meet legally required quality standards.
Magistrate Nusrat Sahara Bithi issued the warrant on Monday (November 24), responding to a petition filed by Dhaka South City Corporation’s Safe Food Inspector Kamrul Hasan. The next hearing in the case is set for December 15.
The development comes in connection with an ongoing case (No. 20/2025) filed earlier against the importer of the product – Md Mozammel Hossain of Sumaiya Enterprise in Chawkbazar – under multiple sections of the Safe Food Act. An arrest warrant had already been issued against him.
During the investigation, samples of KitKat chocolate imported by Nestlé Bangladesh were sent for testing. Reports from the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) and the Public Health Food Laboratory confirmed the chocolate's key ingredients fell below required standards.
According to the test results, milk solids in the chocolate should legally contain between 12–14%, but the sample contained only 9.31%. Milk fat – required to be 2.5-3.5% or above – was found at just 1.23%.
Following the findings, a supplementary charge sheet was filed naming Nestlé Bangladesh officials directly responsible for allowing the product to reach consumers.
Speaking to Jago News, Food Inspector Kamrul Hasan said samples were collected from multiple retail points, including from ACI Logistics on November 10.
“None of the tested samples met the required standards,” he said. “That’s why we proceeded with legal action.”
The case marks one of the most high-profile food safety actions in recent years and raises questions about multinational companies' compliance with Bangladesh’s food regulations.
Nestlé Bangladesh has not yet issued a public statement regarding the arrest warrant.