Ensure food security for all

We are deeply concerned by a new UN report that has exposed the extent of food insecurity in the country. While we have made notable progress in reducing hunger over the past two decades, crores of people still cannot afford to eat a healthy diet. The report, jointly published by five UN agencies, found that 26.2 percent of the population, or 4.54 crore people, experienced moderate or severe food insecurity between 2023 and 2025. It also found that 6.78 crore people—38.6 percent of the population—could not afford a healthy diet in 2025. Our policymakers must take these findings seriously and recognise that food security means more than preventing hunger: it also means ensuring access to nutritious food.

Over the past two decades, the share of undernourished people in Bangladesh has fallen significantly: from 15.1 percent in 2004-06 to 8.2 percent in 2023-25. The proportion of people unable to afford a healthy diet has also dropped from 62.8 percent in 2017 to 38.6 percent in 2025. But the situation is nevertheless worrying, as nearly 4 in 10 people still cannot buy nutritious food. The cost of a healthy diet has also risen sharply, from about Tk 108 per person per day in 2017 to around Tk 160 in 2025. For low-income families already struggling with the rising cost of living, balanced meals are becoming increasingly unaffordable.

Tap Here to Add The Daily Star As A Trusted Source

Bangladesh's nutrition indicators clearly reflect the consequences of this situation. While one in four children under the age of five is stunted, more than 1 in 10 suffers from wasting. More than one-third of women of reproductive age are anaemic. The report also shows that most children aged 6-23 months don't receive a sufficiently diverse diet, while the rate of exclusive breastfeeding has also declined. Health experts have rightly pointed out that poor nutrition affects women and children the most. Malnutrition hampers children's physical and cognitive development, weakens educational outcomes, lowers productivity, and places a long-term burden on the country's economy.

The government must treat these findings as a call for urgent action and strengthen its food and nutrition policies. Stronger measures are needed to improve supply chains, keep food prices stable, and make nutritious food more affordable. It should expand the social protection programmes, including the Family Card scheme, to better support vulnerable households and ensure that food or financial assistance reaches those who need it the most. Greater investment in maternal and child nutrition is equally essential. The government must ensure that every family can afford the nutritious diet needed for a healthy and productive life.