Sukanta Halder

Under a gloomy afternoon sky at Karwan Bazar, Abdul Barek stood in front of a vegetable shop, quietly asking the price of one item after another. The 50-year-old finally settled on half a kilogram of okra.

Bangladesh is becoming increasingly dependent on imports to meet its annual demand for chemical fertilisers as recurring gas shortages, ageing factories and disruptions in global raw material supplies continue to cripple domestic production.

The government has begun collecting data on 10.13 lakh food businesses across the country to provide training on safe food production and supply and improve monitoring to ensure access to safe food for people from all walks of life.

Bangladesh is building its first oceanographic research vessel at Khulna Shipyard, which will allow the country’s marine scientists to explore the deep waters of the Bay of Bengal by 2028.

Every person or company involved in the food supply chain, from street food vendors and small restaurants to importers and large-scale food processors, will now have to obtain registration or a licence from the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, according to new regulations.

Rice prices have climbed in Dhaka and Chattogram over the past week, particularly for fine varieties, as traders blame higher paddy prices, flood damage to Aus crops and Aman seedbeds, and uncertainty over rice imports from India.

Prasad Roy had big plans for this Aman season. Just last week, the farmer from Khalashi Bunia village in Khulna’s Batiaghata upazila prepared a 10-katha seedbed, hoping to raise enough saplings to plant across 17 bighas of paddy land.

Businesses say the downpour has disrupted the entire supply chain