Desk Report:
The first meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Food for the 13th National Parliament was held on Thursday (October 15, 2026) at the National Parliament House, chaired by the Committee Chairperson, Md. Abdus Salam Pintu, MP.
In accordance with the agenda, the meeting began with an introductory session involving the Committee Chairperson, its members, and relevant senior officials. During the meeting, the functions of the Ministry of Food, along with its subordinate directorates and agencies, were presented.
The meeting included a detailed discussion regarding the manpower shortage within the Ministry of Food; the Ministry reported that there are currently 6,653 vacant positions across various roles. It was recommended that the practice of hiring personnel through outsourcing be discontinued and that these vacancies be filled promptly through formal recruitment processes.
It was noted that the amount of arable land is steadily declining due to unplanned urbanization. In response, the Ministry stated that strict oversight and regular monitoring are being implemented to preserve agricultural land and prevent its unauthorized use for non-agricultural purposes.
The issue of food adulteration was also discussed in detail. Md. Abdul Bari, MP, State Minister for Food and a member of the Committee, stated that the current government is highly vigilant regarding food adulteration. Efforts are underway to enforce strict oversight at every stage—from food production and processing to marketing—and to address limitations within existing laws and regulations. Furthermore, emphasis is being placed on enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement, conducting regular inspections, and taking legal action against those responsible for food adulteration. Efforts are also being made to strengthen the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) by providing necessary logistical support, enabling it to function effectively at the field level. The State Minister added that initiatives are currently underway to establish mini-laboratories in every office of the BFSA and to deploy mobile vans for monitoring food adulteration. It was stated that the process of formulating new guidelines for the appointment of dealers under the Open Market Sale (OMS) and ‘Food-Friendly’ (Khadya Bandhob) programs is currently underway. It was expressed that the establishment of these guidelines would bring transparency to the dealer appointment process.
In his remarks, the Chairperson stated that access to food is a fundamental human right. He emphasized that it is our responsibility to ensure that safe and unadulterated food reaches the public, and he urged all concerned parties to carry out their duties with honesty and dedication.
To prevent errors in the selection of beneficiaries for food distribution, he recommended the adoption of a digitalization process for identifying those eligible for the programs. Furthermore, he sought the full cooperation of the committee members and all relevant stakeholders to enhance the dynamism and efficiency of the Ministry of Food’s operations.
Other committee members present at the meeting included Afroza Khanam, MP; Abul Kalam, MP; Md. Abu Taleb Mondal, MP; Md. Abdul Karim, MP; and Shamsunnahar Begum, MP.
Also in attendance were the Secretary of the Ministry of Food, heads of departments and agencies under the Ministry, senior officials from the Ministry, and relevant officials from the National Parliament Secretariat.
