Hasina calls for regional steps to eradicate poverty

Sheikh Hasina declared the result of SSC and equivalent examinations in Dhaka yesterday.By Mizan Rahman/DhakaPrime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government would remain steadfast in formulating and enforcing laws to enhance food and agriculture production and ensure food and nutritional   security for all.Inaugurating a three-day “South Asia Right to Food Conference 2015” in Dhaka, she laid emphasis on regional initiative to eradicate poverty and hunger and set up Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) food bank without delay.“There is no alternative to combined efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger from South Asia and the recent devastating earthquake in Nepal reminds us the urgency of establishing regionalfood security,” she said.Nobel Laureate for Peace Kailash Satyarthi was the guest of honour at the conference being held under the auspices of Anti-Poverty Platform (APP), a forum of as many as 43 government, non-government and international organisations working for poverty alleviation. Prime Minister Hasina laid emphasis on speeding up the initiative taken to set up Saarc food bank saying South Asian leaders are working to establish the food bank as soon as possible. “Let the Saarc food bank be a friend of need so that none dies of starvation in our region,” she said requesting the policy makers for taking steps to formulate the Saarc seed bank in order to ensure the participation and empowerment of the farmers in the area of seed.The prime minister said food remains at the top of the five most important basic needs - food, clothing, housing, education and healthcare - for human being.Despite remarkable success and progress of civilisation, and science and knowledge, it is yet not possible to ensure adequate food for all people on the planet, she said.Hasina said food security does not depend only on production of foodgrains. Ensuring food for all is a complex task as a host of factors like poverty, flawed economic and distribution system, conflict, over population, food and agricultural policy, climate change influence the availability of food.The PM said only $30bn are required per annum to eradicate poverty from the earth. According to 2012 calculation, this expenditure is equal to eight days’ cost of US military budget.Hasina said her government has been working to fulfill the basic needs of Bangladesh. “Defying all obstacles, Bangladesh has progressed remarkably in terms of food security, nutrition, education, health and social protection.”During 2013-14 fiscal, Bangladesh produced 38.343mn metric tonnes of rice and already achieved self-sufficiency in food production. Food storage capacity rose to 1.9mn metric tonnes, she said.Pointing out the steps taken by her government to ensure food security of the poor, she said the social safety net programmes were widened for the relatively poor and disadvantaged people.During the current fiscal, 307.51bn taka ($3.94bn) has been allocated for social safety net programmes, she said hoping that experts attending the conference would formulate recommendations that would help eradicate poverty from this region.Hasina said, “It should be our commitment to ensure food and nutritional security across South Asia region. We are also requesting to discard the food wastage in different corners of the world.”Satyarthi said millions of children were deliberately kept hungry across the world. “Ensuring food security cannot be achieved in isolation. All initiatives for food security, education and development should go hand to hand,” he said, adding that South Asian people need to wage a dynamic movement for their right to food.Water cut in ColomboA labourer transports drinking water in Colombo yesterday. The Sri Lankan authorities have announced an eight-hour water cut across the capital Colombo to carry out urgent repairs at a time when the city is facing the hottest time of the year.