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Bangladesh

Ministry of Food

Institutional set-up and structure

The Ministry of Food is a line ministry responsible for integrated public food management. It works through a food policy monitoring unit and a national food safety authority. Coordination on nutrition runs through the National Nutrition Council, which draws in 27 ministries, and a separate joint declaration on noncommunicable disease prevention involves 37 ministries.

Mandate and decision-making power

The Ministry’s mandate covers the formulation, review and execution of legislation, policies, plans and guidelines for the food system; the maintenance of a dependable national food security system; and the procurement, storage and movement of food grains for the public food distribution system. It also coordinates the country's food systems summit follow-up and the country investment plan. As a line ministry it decides within its own sector, and its convening power over ministries at the same level is limited.

The Ministry is tasked with the following roles:

  • Agenda setting: advocacy and dialogue; deciding on goals and strategic priorities

  • Policy formulation and decision making: coordinating policy development; developing policies for consideration by the relevant authorities; deciding and enacting them

  • Implementation: coordinating policy and programme delivery; coordinating financial resources and the budget

  • Monitoring and evaluation: tracking progress, evaluating and reporting

How it works in practice

  • Reports to Cabinet through standard government channels

  • Submits annual work plans and progress reports to the National Nutrition Council

  • Accountable under the country investment plan monitoring framework

  • Non-state actors are engaged through multi-stakeholder platforms and consultations

Opportunities for improvement

  • Clarifying roles where mandates overlap with other ministries would reduce duplication

  • Introducing conflict-of-interest procedures would set clearer terms for private sector engagement

  • Costed coordination plans covering implementation, monitoring and reporting, rather than planning alone, would support budget tracking across sectors

Evidence base: key informant interviews and policy documents, 2026. Last updated: September 2026.

Strengths

  • Strong policy commitment to food security at ministerial level

  • Coordination has improved through the food policy monitoring unit and the food safety authority

  • Established working links with the agriculture, fisheries and industries ministries