After several years of continuous progress, Bangladesh's three-step drop in the Global Hunger Index this year is concerning.
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024, published on Friday, highlights Bangladesh's position among other countries.
Currently, Bangladesh ranks 84th out of 127 countries regarding its capacity to address hunger. According to the report, the country now faces "moderate levels" of hunger.
This year's score for Bangladesh on the Global Hunger Index is 19.4, down from last year's score of 19, when it ranked 81st out of 125 countries. This indicates that Bangladesh has made less progress on the hunger index compared to other nations.
A country's hunger level is determined by four criteria: the level of undernutrition, the prevalence of low weight-for-height among children under five, the prevalence of low height-for-age among children under five, and infant mortality rates. These indicators are used to measure hunger levels at the global, regional, and national levels.
A score of zero on the Global Hunger Index indicates no hunger, while a score of 100 signifies the highest level of hunger.
If a country's score falls between 10 and 19.9, it is considered to be experiencing "moderate" hunger. Bangladesh had made consistent progress in addressing hunger prior to this year's index.
Neighbouring countries Nepal (68th position, score 14.7) and Sri Lanka (56th position, score 11.3) are ahead of Bangladesh in the Global Hunger Index.
However, Bangladesh ranks better than the other two South Asian countries, India and Pakistan, in its capacity to address hunger.
Sri Lanka has consistently performed well on the hunger index. In the past, Nepal ranked below Bangladesh, but its recent rise above Bangladesh highlights our deterioration.
The hunger situation over the past year is certainly not the responsibility of the interim government.
However, when this hunger index report was published the price of daily commodities has been skyrocketing, which have become unaffordable for the common man.
When prices are low, poor people can eat their fill, but as prices increase, they are forced to reduce their food intake.
While people’s incomes have increased, their expenditures have risen even more significantly. Most individuals cannot afford to spend money on food after meeting expenses on education, healthcare, housing, and other essentials.
As a result, they suffer from hunger and malnutrition. To address this situation, comprehensive economic reforms are necessary.
However, the interim government has not yet established an economic reforms commission, despite forming commissions for other issues.
Another contributing factor to the decline in hunger conditions is abnormal economic inequality.
While a small number of individuals accumulate vast wealth, a large segment of the population lives below the poverty line. To create a truly equitable society, this disparity must be addressed.
To improve the hunger situation, the government needs to increase the supply of daily commodities through alternative means, ensuring they are sold at lower prices than the market rate. Additionally, increasing market supervision could prevent unscrupulous traders from artificially inflating prices.