FAO celebrates 5-decade partnership with Bangladesh

The event, titled “FAO@80 and Bangladesh : A shared legacy of agricultural transformation for five decades,” commemorated FAO’s 80th anniversary globally and fifty years of enduring partnership with Bangladesh aimed at ensuring a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food future.

The daylong celebration brought together diverse stakeholders, including officials from the government, FAO, diplomatic missions in the city, international financial institutions, other UN agencies, private sector actors, civil society organizations, youth, and farmers.

The gathering served as a vital platform to reflect on Bangladesh’s transformative agricultural journey and to collaboratively create a forward-looking vision for the next decade of partnership.

The commemoration began early morning with an innovators’ brew with youth, an energizing conversation circle involving fifteen young agri entrepreneurs from across the country who are actively redefining agriculture through ambition and innovation.

The main commemoration featured a high-level inaugural session, which included statements from representatives of the Government of Bangladesh and FAO, and a keynote address highlighting key milestones in the cooperation.

This was followed by a high-level panel discussion session titled, “Dialogue for Impact – Partnering Hand in Hand for Inclusive Transformation,” designed to gather diverse voices reflecting a collective commitment to advancing agricultural development in Bangladesh.

As chief guest, Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance, emphasized the depth of the collaboration.

He stated that for over five decades, Bangladesh and FAO have worked hand in hand to strengthen policies, build resilience, and drive innovation across our food and agriculture sectors.

He stressed that as Bangladesh approaches LDC graduation, the partnership remains vital for advancing sustainable growth, boosting exports, and shaping a more food-secure and resilient future.

Md Mahmudur Rahman, Additional Secretary (PPC Wing), Ministry of Agriculture, speaking as special guest, detailed the scope of FAO’s contribution.

He noted that FAO’s support, encompassing flagship programmes like the Agriculture Transformation Programme and One Country One Product (OCOP), alongside climate adaptation, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and emergency response, has strengthened national capacity, guided long-term reforms, and improved millions of farming lives.

As Bangladesh advances the formulation of a perspective plan for agriculture transformation outlook 2050 to build a more competitive, climate-resilient, and market-oriented agriculture sector, Bangladesh deeply values FAO’s leadership and partnership.

Jiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh and chair of the inaugural session, noted that the day’s milestone serves as a reminder that Bangladesh’s agrifood transformation is—and will always be—a shared journey powered by communities, innovators, and partners.

Dia Sanou, Deputy FAO Representative, FAO Bangladesh, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the remarkable transformation of Bangladesh’s agriculture supported by FAO, as well as the promising
opportunities ahead.

The dialogue session featured several distinguished dignitaries, including A K M Sohel, Additional Secretary, Wing Chief, United Nations, ERD; Jean Pesme, Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, World Bank; Hakon Arald Gulbrandsen, The Ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bangladesh; Antonio Alessandro, The Ambassador of Italy in Dhaka; and Uzma Chowdhury, Director, PRAN-RFL Group, and BoD, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MCCI).

In the afternoon, parallel sessions provided dedicated, in-depth spaces for technical stakeholders. These sessions focused on the findings and future pathways of specific flagship initiatives, including the closure of the Pesticide Risk Reduction in Bangladesh project and a debriefing session of the EAF-Nansen Survey 2025 in the Bay of Bengal.

The day concluded with a unique and flavorful journey into Bangladesh’s culinary heritage, led by Farida Akhter, Adviser, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

She discussed forgotten goods and diversified dishes of Bangladesh, offering the next generation of changemakers an invaluable opportunity to discover how heritage foods can inspire sustainable futures, nourish communities, and shape tomorrow’s food systems.

Through this celebration, FAO reaffirmed its dedication to working Hand in Hand with the Government for a sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and food-secure Bangladesh, striving to ensure better production, better nutrition, better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind, reports BSS.