ZCZC
BSS-31
DAY-FOOD-SAFETY
National Food Safety Day tomorrow
DHAKA, Feb 1, 2020 (BSS) – National Food Safety Day -2020 will be observed tomorrow across the country with a vow to ensure safe food for all on the Mujib Year, the birth centenary celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
This year’s theme of the day is “Sobai Mele Hath Melai, Nirapod Khaddo Nishchit Chai (Put Hands Together, Ensure Safe Food).
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on the occasion, urging all to join the movement for ensuring production of safe food to save life and health, and also the import and marketing of safe food.
In his message, the President put emphasis on creating mass awareness about the nutritious and safe food as the having unsafe food may cause diseases like cancer, kidney failure and disabilities.
“It is very urgent to ensure adulteration free, safe and nutritious food . . . The food security, health and nutrition issues have got priority in ensuring the Sustainable Development Goals declared by the United Nations,” he said.
President Hamid said the incumbent government, in line with it, is working to implement various programmes to develop public health, ensure availability of nutritious food, medical facilities and health education and developing sanitation system.
Abdul Hamid said there is no alternative to the availability of nutritious and safe food to make the present and future generation healthy and work-worthy.
Referring to the Bangladesh’s position in getting food security, the head of the state hoped that all concerned especially safe food department, would play an effective role to gear up more vigilance and awareness campaign in this connection.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated her government’s commitment to safeguard the health of the people.
The premier said the theme of the day this year is time-befitting. The present government has undertaken various plans to ensure food safety and availability of nutritious and safe food, she added.
“Bangladesh has achieved self-sufficiency in food production and the government is working to implement various programmes to ensure special security in producing, marketing and supplying food. We have formulated The National Food Security Act 2013 and established Bangladesh Food Safety Authority in 2015,” she mentioned.
In line with this, the present government is working relentlessly to achieve this target,” the Prime Minister added.
Since last 11 years, she said, Bangladesh achieved tremendous development in socio-economic sectors with an aim to build hunger-and poverty-free country and the country is now the role model of development and moving forward to become a middle income country by 2021 and developed country by 2041 by achieving the economic growth.
The prime minister mentioned that Bangladesh Safe Food Authority, as part of materializing the commitment of building a Digital Bangladesh, introduced hotline (333) service. It also set up eight reference laboratories in eight divisions across the country to examine the food security and quality as well, she pointed out.
Sheikh Hasina also stressed on ensuring optimum safe quality of food import and marketing to save the life and health.
BSS/PR/SIR/KU/1908 HRS