Govt moves to expand food grain storage capacity

The government has emphasised sustainable infrastructure development, improved warehouse facilities and long-term planning to expand the country’s food grain storage capacity and strengthen food security.
To this end, the Directorate General of Food and the Public Works Department (PWD) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Thursday to expand storage capacity, upgrade warehouse infrastructure and ensure construction quality. Food Minister Afroza Khanam attended the signing ceremony at the Directorate General of Food in Dhaka as the chief guest.
State Minister for Food and Public Administration Md Abdul Bari and State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmed Sohel Manzoor attended as special guests, while Food Secretary Abu Taher Md Masud Rana chaired the event.
Speaking at the ceremony, the food minister said the government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, was working to ensure food security and improve people’s living standards.
She stressed the need to expand storage capacity, modernise warehouses and develop long-term grain preservation facilities to safeguard food security.
The minister said infrastructure development should be based on projected demand over the next 10 to 15 years rather than immediate requirements.
She also emphasised adequate ventilation, proper grain preservation and suitable working conditions for officials and employees managing the warehouses.
Afroza called for prioritising storage facilities in major grain-producing areas and urged the PWD to accelerate the construction of new warehouses alongside the renovation and modernisation of existing ones.
Citing global conflicts, international uncertainty and rising fuel prices, she stressed the importance of maintaining adequate food stocks to address potential future crises.
State Minister Md Abdul Bari said sufficient grain reserves and an efficient distribution system were essential to national food security.
He called for planned infrastructure development, timely completion of ongoing projects and strict adherence to construction standards.
State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmed Sohel Manzoor highlighted the importance of regular maintenance to ensure the durability of government infrastructure.
He assured continued support from the PWD for the Directorate General of Food’s infrastructure projects and said a dashboard-based monitoring system had been introduced to track progress and minimise implementation delays.
Speakers expressed hope that closer coordination between the two departments would accelerate warehouse construction, renovation and maintenance, reduce grain losses and strengthen food security.
Directorate General of Food Director General Md Jasim Uddin Khan and PWD Chief Engineer Md Khalequzzaman Chowdhury signed the MoU and exchanged documents in the presence of the food minister.
Senior officials from the two departments, the Department of Architecture, the Ministry of Food and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works attended the ceremony.