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Press Release

Economist Dr. Asaduzzaman said that, unless we carefully plan for now and for future large scale food deprivation and nutrition insecurity may raise. In the policy making procedure it is necessary to involve mass people and the experts from the relevant sector with the bureaucrats,” he also added.

Dr. Asaduzaaman was talking in a webinar which was organized by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) andsupported by the United Nations Development Programme took place on 9th February, 2021. The webinar was organized to release Policy Brief under the titled “Searching Ways Forward for Bangladesh in the Time of Pandemic: Food and Nutrition Security in Post-pandemic Bangladesh.”

Md. Abdul Wadud Dara, Former Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee, Ministry of Food; Md. Harunur Rashid MP, Joint Secretary General, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Barrister Shamim Haide rPatwary MP, Additional Secretary & Presidium Member, Jatiya Party were present as the speakers of the webinar. The webinar was hosted by the executive director of CGS Mr. Zillur Rahman.

Dr. Asaduzzaman, author of the policy brief present his presentation in the webinar where he came up with his analysis and recommendations regarding the food and nutrition. He mainly focused on three areas, one is the excessive use and waste of groundwater. Secondly, the high price and labor crisis in agricultural activities and thirdly, the complexity in marketization of agricultural products. He suggested to take immediate efforts to tackle the issues.  

In the webinar, Md. Abdul Wadud Dara has appreciated the efforts of the government and said if financial institutions run on the proper process, food scarcity might reduce in future.  

Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary said, for the lack of consumption, several sectors related to food might get wiped out. Regarding this, he suggested to research where the consumption might increase and decrease in the post-pandemic era. Md. Harunur Rashid was accusing that, the experiences that have been gathered through visiting other countries are not implementing properly in our policy discussion. He also expressed his concern on improper product marketization, and emphasizes the need for cooperative management in that case.