Millers for Nutrition coalition, powered by TechnoServe, hosted the Bangladesh Country Conclave 2026 in Dhaka on Thursday, bringing together government, industry, development, and academic stakeholders to strengthen collaboration on food fortification and improve access to safe and fortified foods in Bangladesh.
The conclave aimed to strengthen public-private collaboration on food fortification, improve food safety compliance, promote automation in food processing, and address regulatory and industry challenges while enhancing Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) and sustainable fortification practices to improve nutrition outcomes in Bangladesh.
Md. GuljerAhmmed, Country Program Manager of TechnoServe Bangladesh, emphasized the importance of collective action and stronger industry engagement to expand access to fortified foods across Bangladesh.
As special guest Md. Jamal Hossain, ADG of DG Food emphasized on the role of fortified staples on eradication of malnutrition through food fortification.
Chief Guest M. Jashim Uddin Khan, Director General of the DG Food highlighted the importance of fortified food production, strengthened industry compliance, and coordinated multi-stakeholder collaboration to improve national nutrition outcomes.
In a technical presentation on automation of fortified rice blending system Prof. Dr. Md. Rostom Ali demonstrated the prototype developed and future potential of this technology, which will minimize manual efforts currently practiced by the millers.
Zakir Ibne Hai, ED and COO of ACI Foods and Beverage focused on ACI’s commitment to scale up its coverage of food fortification initiative and appreciated Millers for Nutrition initiative’s support to ACI on expanding their activities.
Md. Moin Uddin Masud, Organizing Secretary of Bangladesh Fortified Rice Mill Association stressed the importance of private sector leadership, stronger miller engagement, and continued technical support to sustain fortification efforts.
Md Kamal Uddin shared practical experience on FSMS implementation, highlighting improved compliance and consumer confidence, while Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shoeb of BFSA outlined key regulatory priorities to strengthen Bangladesh’s food fortification system.
In the closing session Monojit Indra, Program Leader (Asia), Millers for Nutrition, TechnoServe, emphasized the future vision of the initiative, focusing on sustained collaboration, industry participation, and scaling up food fortification interventions across Bangladesh.
The conclave brought together representatives from: Directorate General of Food, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP), Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), Food Planning and Monitoring Unit, Department of Women Affairs (DWA), Universities across Bangladesh, Development organizations and millers associations, Leading food industries and fortified rice kernel (FRK) manufacturers.
Strategic partners BASF, Hexagon Nutrition, and Bühler, along with WFP, Nutrition International, GAIN, and the National Heart Foundation, shared insights and reaffirmed support for food fortification in Bangladesh.
