The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Delay in the process of establishing a Saarc Food Bank has deprived Bangladesh of accessing valuable resources while the country has been desperately trying to procure food crops in a bid to cope with the post-Sidr crisis, Tapan Chowdhury said Tuesday.

"In the post-Sidr situation in Bangladesh, we would've been greatly benefited if the food bank were operational. In fact, the initiative was conceived to face such crises readily and efficiently," the food and disaster management adviser told bdnews24.com.

Bangladesh may have had access to at least 2.41 lakh tonnes of food aid from the proposed food bank's stocks, if Saarc's planned initiative to combat regional food crises had materialised, Tapan said.

"The Saarc member countries have not commissioned their foodbanks so far," the adviser said, adding that Bangladesh also lags behind as regards this initiative.

"It hasn't been possible to commission the food bank as some of the member countries didn't ratify their commitments as agreed," he explained.

The decision to establish a Saarc Food Bank was adopted at the 2007 Saarc Conference held in Delhi on April 4, where food ministers signed the relevant charter.

Bangladesh's foreign affairs adviser put his signature to the instrument as the country's food adviser was not present on the occasion.

Tapan told bdnews24.com that as per agreement, the Saarc member nations should be able to get food loans from the envisaged food bank in case of shortages due to natural disasters or otherwise, and return the loaned foods as the situation improves.

"The member countries are meant to raise and maintain the food stocks in their own countries, it was agreed, and send the same to other countries when circumstances warrant."

India is supposed to hold the largest food stock, according to the agreement, the adviser said, while the newest Saarc member Afghanistan has not yet pledged any such food stock yet.

India's share was determined to be 1.53 lakh tonnes, Bangladesh and Pakistan at 40,000 tonnes each and Sri Lanka and Nepal at 4,000 tonnes each

The Maldives agreed to provide 200 tonnes and Bhutan 180 tonnes of food grains.

Food ministry officials said the government currently has stocks of 6.2 lakh tonnes of food grains, whereas, about 19 lakh tonnes is required to manage the ongoing and envisaged shortages.

India, meanwhile, has notified its intention of selling 5 lakh tonnes of food grains to Bangladesh.