Food Security

File photo Rice is being exported from India

Bangladesh wants food exports not to be stopped suddenly

Bangladesh thinks that many countries are in food crisis in the current situation. Many are suffering due to the sudden stoppage of food exports. The issue of human survival has become very important. So, if the export of food products is to be stopped, the importing country should be informed in advance.

Tapan Kanti Ghosh, senior secretary at the Ministry of Commerce, told the official news agency BSS after the first day of the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva on Sunday.

He said, "We have said that in the current situation, there is a global food shortage. So, export bans should not be imposed suddenly on food products necessary for survival. In order to stop the export, the importing country must be informed before a certain time."

The ministerial level conference of the WTO's highest policy-making forum has started at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi is leading the Bangladesh delegation in the meeting.

Tapan Kanti Ghosh further said that even after being removed from the list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the duty-free trade facilities that other LDC countries including Bangladesh are getting should be continued for a few more years.

It is to be noted that Bangladesh has been scheduled to leave LDC in 2026. After that Bangladesh will no longer get duty free market facility. So, the proposal of LDC to provide duty free trade facility to WTO is very important for Bangladesh.

Tapan Kanti Ghosh said that in order to reduce the risk of food security, Bangladesh has requested the LDC countries to have the opportunity to stockpile food on a large scale at the government level. We also called for any other WTO reforms, including agriculture, to be inclusive. Reforms must be inclusive and transparent, where everyone has an opinion. The concerns of each member must be taken into account.