The government has imported a record amount of nearly 1.3 million tons of food in the fiscal year 2024-25 to meet the demand. This trend continues even in the current fiscal year. Although the government’s capital machinery imports have gone into a negative trend, the cost of food grain imports has increased to a record high.

Meanwhile, in the current fiscal year, major rice-producing regions, including Chattogram, Sylhet and Mymensingh, experienced four consecutive periods of heavy rainfalls, which decreased the production of food grains in these regions. As a result, the government continues to import food grains to meet the demand. The government is increasing the hoard of its food grains to address the crisis. Currently, Bangladesh has a record 2.179 million tons of food in stock, which is the highest in the country’s history.

In this regard, Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder said, “A food-friendly programme for low-income people is set to begin from 17 August. This time, the number of beneficiary families has been increased by 5 lakh to a total of 5.5 million. Additionally, food stocks are also being increased at the government level for emergency situations.”

Bangladesh is ranked fourth among the top five countries in the world with severe food insecurity, according to a report of ‘Global Report on Food Crisis 2025’, published by five UN agencies. The agencies include FAO, IFAD, WFP, WHO and UNICEF. The interim government has taken the report of the agencies seriously. For this, imports are also being increased along with increasing food production. The report of the five agencies cited that there is not only a food security crisis in Bangladesh, but also the country is lagging behind in terms of having healthy or balanced food. Around 77.1 million people in the country still do not get healthy food despite significant progress in this regard in the last seven years. More than 10 percent of the country’s people are suffering from malnutrition. Bangladesh has been asked to adopt viable initiatives to get out of this situation.

According to the Food Ministry, the government imported 6.33 lakh tons of food grains in the fiscal year 2022-23, 6.83 lakh tons in the fiscal year 2021-22, and 5.72 lakh tons in the fiscal year 2020-21. In the fiscal year 2024-25, 12.96 lakh tons of food grains were imported. In the fiscal year 2023-24, no rice was imported under the government management, only 7.84 lakh tons of wheat was imported during that period. However, about 5 lakh tons of rice was imported under private management that year. In fact, food grain imports have doubled in the last few years. Due to this, the cost of food grain imports has also increased. To ensure the food security of the people of the country, the government is meeting the demand by importing as well as producing.

When asked, former World Bank Chief Economist Dr. Zahid Hossain said, “The food crisis is a global problem. Dominant countries have an influence on market situations, production, supply, prices and control on which the world market depends. As a result, food crises can occur in many countries despite being self-sufficient in food.”

BRAC Chairman and eminent economist Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman said, “There may be no visible hunger in the country, but there is suppressed hunger. People have resorted to voluntary starvation. And they are being forced. Therefore, you will not see with your own eyes that the people of the country are in a food crisis. For this, you have to reach out to them. You have to enquire about the lifestyle of the people. He believes that not only our management but also the international community is responsible for this.”

According to the report of five UN agencies, about 295 million people in 53 food crisis-stricken countries and regions of the world are in the face of extreme food insecurity. Among them, the top five countries in terms of the number of people suffering from acute food insecurity include Nigeria, Sudan, the Republic of the Congo, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia.

Source: Bangladesh Pratidin