State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Monday said food security must go hand in hand with eco-friendly agriculture and climate resilience.

She made the remarks when Resident Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Bangladesh Coco Ushiyama called on her at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The state minister also called for sustained international support to ensure uninterrupted food and nutrition assistance for the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals – known as Rohingyas.

She thanked WFP for its continued assistance for the Rohingyas temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh amid prevailing resource constraints, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Shama Obaed expressed appreciation for WFP’s long-standing cooperation with Bangladesh and its support for food security, nutrition, social protection and humanitarian assistance.

She also commended WFP’s contribution to the School Meals Programme in Bangladesh and emphasised the importance of capacity-building to strengthen national food security.

The state minister highlighted the government’s priorities in promoting environmentally sustainable agriculture and its countrywide tree-plantation initiative.

She sought WFP’s support for the government initiatives falling within its operational mandate, including the Family Card scheme.

Shama Obaed also called for enhanced cooperation to help Bangladesh achieve the Sustainable Development Goals within the stipulated timeframe.

Coco Ushiyama stated that WFP has been working to address the key drivers of hunger and the growing vulnerabilities caused by climate change to agriculture, food security and nutrition, particularly among women and children.

She outlined WFP’s ongoing activities in Khulna division and Habiganj district, as well as its engagement in social safety nets, climate resilience, disaster management and earthquake preparedness.

Both sides expressed their commitment to further strengthening the Bangladesh-WFP partnership in attaining food security and advancing sustainable development towards building a secured, climate-resilient and prosperous future for Bangladesh.