Experts stress on law to implement food policy

Speakers at a seminar stressed the need for enacting a law that will be used to implement the the existing policy on right to food.

"Despite having a policy on right to food, it is impossible to implement that policy without a law in place", said eminent economist Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed while presiding over the seminar on Thursday.

Right to Food Bangladesh, a social organisation, arranged the seminar titled "Development Goals of Bangladesh and the Relevance of the Law for Food Right" in association with some other NGOs at the Cirdap Auditorium in the city.

At the function, as per UNB report, Food Minister Kamrul Islam said that the government is trying to create awareness to ensure safe food for people after achieving self-sufficiency in food production.

The seminar was also addressed, among others, by Director general of Department of Women Affairs Kazi Rowshon Aktar, senior research fellow of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Dr Naznin Ahmed, head of programme of Echo Cogeneration of Bangladesh Abul Kalam Azad.

General secretary of Right to Food Bangladesh Mohsin Ali conducted the seminar.

The Food Minister said the continuation of the government is essential to continue the success of the present government.

Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman, also chairman Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation and Right to Food Bangladesh, observed that poverty has increased to a substantial level across the country despite rise in GDP growth and gap between rich and poor has also been widened.

"If we want sustainable development it has to be human development-centric," he added.

Director general of Department of Women Affairs Kazi Rowshon Aktar said development goals will not be achieved unless food security is ensured for the womenfolk of the society.

She said the government has been working to ensure nutrition-enriched food for both mother and children.

Dr Naznin Ahmed said people of the society have a responsibility to create awareness to check misuse of food. "There should be a social movement against misuse of food", she said.

Speakers said enactment of a law is essential to protect the agricultural land to ensure food security.