Ruling out any possibilities of famine in the country during the current global crisis due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Sunday said there will not be any famine in Bangladesh if people would not stock more food.
“Bumper Aman crop along with enough fertilizer stock for IRRI-Boro farming, sufficient food stock and non-stop import jointly by the private and public sector…so, still no chance of happening famine in the country,” he said.
The minister said this while addressing a workshop on safe food at the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) training center. The food ministry arranged the function.
The food minister said that there is nothing to be worried on the food crisis as the country has adequate food stock irrespective of its production, public-private sector stock and import.
“So, there is no chance of happening famine in the country, otherwise people might be panicked regarding famine with making 3-4 times food stock in case of threat of famine,” Majumder told the function.
Talking about food export certification, the food minister said earlier that foreign authorities used to issue certificates in exporting food items from Bangladesh, but now it will not require and Bangladesh will provide certificates for the export of food as per the international standard.
BFSA member Prof Abdul Alim gave the welcome address while Food Secretary M Ismail Hossen attended the function as the special guest. BFSA's Chairman M Abdul Quiyum presided over the function.
The minister also emphasized on beefing up peoples' confidence on providing well accepted health certificate for the export-oriented food goods as Bangladesh Food Safety Authority who is entrusted with the certification would be able to perform it correctly.
In the globe, around 4,20,000 people every year dies due to food related illness which is one person in every ten while 150 million people become ill and dies 1,75,000 due to food-related illness in South-East Asian countries where 50,000 are children.
