RAJSHAHI, Dec 9, 2024 (BSS)- Social watchdogs at a meeting here today
unequivocally called for ensuring nutritious foods for all to build sound
public health to take the nation forward successfully.

Simultaneously, legitimate rights of the prominent farmers and others
concerned should be protected rightly for the sake of encouraging them
towards boosting agricultural productions to meet up its gradually rising
demands.
 
Farmers are contributing a lot towards ensuring food security through
boosting agricultural production. There is no way but to protect their
interests as a whole to ensure food security for the country's people.

Bangladesh Food Security Network and Paribartan jointly organised the meeting
titled "Right to Food: Human Rights" at Hotel Warisan in the city to mark the
International Human Rights Day.

During his keynote presentation, Prof Abdul Alim from the Department of Law
at Rajshahi University (RU) gave an overview of the country's food situation.

With local unit president of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad Kolpona Roy in the
chair, the meeting was addressed, among others, by retired RU teacher Prof
Siddhartha Sanker Talukder, local unit general secretary of Consumers
Association of Bangladesh Golam Mostofa Mamun, development activist Afzal
Hossain and Journalist Mustafizur Rahman Khan.

Paribartan Director Rashed Ibne Obayed moderated the discussion.

The speakers unanimously viewed that concerted efforts of all the government
and non-government organisations concerned have become indispensable for
protecting agriculture from all sorts of pollution and contamination to
ensure food safety.
 
Besides, utmost emphasis should be given on freeing the markets from all
sorts of unhygienic and unsafe foods because those are injurious to public
health.

They mentioned that adulterated and contaminated foods always pose a serious
threat to the public health and called for taking punitive measures against
the food adulteration and contamination so that no more dare to commit such
types of crimes.
 
Ensuring sustainable food safety can be the crucial means of protecting
public health from various hazards, including biological, chemical and
physical.
 
There is no way but to generate massive awareness among the public in general
so that they can debar themselves from consuming the contaminated,
adulterated and substandard foods for their betterment.