Bilateral meeting with Mr Salehuddin Ahmed, Finance Advisor of the Government of Bangladesh

Rome - FAO Director-General met with Mr Salehuddin Ahmed, Finance Advisor of the Government of Bangladesh, at FAO headquarters, during which they discussed enhancing cooperation in addressing food security challenges and promoting sustainable agrifood systems.

Mr Ahmed expressed his gratitude for FAO’s longstanding support to Bangladesh, emphasizing its crucial role in addressing the country’s evolving food security challenges. He provided updates on Bangladesh’s transformation in the agrifood sector, including the establishment of a national food safety committee and efforts to increase food supply. He also stressed the importance of capacity-building and training to sustain and expand these achievements.

The Director-General emphasized his expectation that Bangladesh would play an even greater role in the future, highlighting the country’s strategy of prioritizing public investment to attract private sector involvement in building resilient agrifood systems. The Director-General also underscored the importance of collaboration and technical support in promoting small and medium-scale enterprises and advancing technology to enhance productivity and sustainability.

The Director-General reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s transformation through digitalization and e-commerce initiatives that connect farmers directly with consumers while preserving product freshness. He noted the significant infrastructure improvements in recent years, which had strengthened the foundation for further development.

Mr Ahmed reiterated Bangladesh’s need for FAO’s continued support for achieving its long-term agrifood sector goals and expressed confidence in the ongoing partnership.