The origin of Bangladesh’s hunger is mostly political 

Nobel laureate and world renowned economist Amartya Sen once stated, "No famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy." 

Bangladesh experienced a severe famine in 1974, immediately after independence. But what's unacceptable is that after five decades of independence, hunger still remains a pressing issue in today's Bangladesh.

A recent report by the UN found that more than 52 million Bangladeshis are currently experiencing food insecurity, with 18.7 million facing acute food insecurity. 

With a score of 19.4, Bangladesh has ranked 84th out of 127 countries in the recently published Global Hunger Index 2024. The level of hunger is labelled as moderate. 

However, the score is very close to the 'serious' bracket. In fact, it slipped three notches from last year, indicating a deteriorating food security situation.

So, what are the root causes of food insecurity in the country? 

If we dive deep, it appears that Sen's quote is true for Bangladesh as well and the origin of its hunger is mostly political. 

In his recently published book, titled 'Why Nations Fail to Feed the Poor: The Politics of Food Security in Bangladesh', Dr Mohammad Mozahidul Islam, a professor and former chairman of the Department of History at Jahangirnagar University, explores how the Bangladeshi state responds when its people go hungry.

He argues that millions of people go hungry in Bangladesh not because it is a resource-poor country, but rather due to the nature of the state. 

He defined the political system of Bangladesh after 1991 as 'neopatrimonialism'. 

The neopatrimonial Bangladeshi state suffers from weak administrative capacity, ineffective institutions, and a lack of a clear ideology, which prevents it from achieving its developmental and economic objectives.

The book delves into the difficulties in ensuring food availability, a crucial aspect of food security. 

"The state's limitations are evident in its failure to enhance domestic agriculture for higher production, its heavy reliance on food imports rather than promoting local production, its inability to import food on time, its dependence on unreliable food aid, and its ineffective strategies to ensure food availability.," Dr Islam told The Business Standard.

He argues that patronage politics severely hinder the state's efforts to develop and implement agricultural policies, a problem that arises naturally in a neopatrimonial regime. 

Rent-seeking, public corruption, poor governance, and weak state capacity further undermine these initiatives.

Bangladesh being 'self-sufficient' in food production is a myth; according to the latest FAO report, Bangladesh is the third-largest food importer in the world.

But is importing a sustainable solution to maintain food availability? 

According to Professor Islam, Bangladesh presents four significant challenges in maintaining food availability by importing food grains. 

Due to four primary shortcomings of the state, he argues, international trade is an unreliable means of ensuring food availability within Bangladesh's neopatrimonial state.

First, uncertainties revolve around food grain imports, mainly linked to the global rice market.

Second, the decision-making process within the Bangladeshi government has always been sluggish.

This is exacerbated by the absence of robust infrastructural capacity for an effective early warning system, which is vital considering that natural disasters like floods and droughts are the primary causes of food availability fluctuations. 

Hunger and food insecurity in Bangladesh are not solely tied to global food price hikes. Food security of a nation-state has multi-dimensional aspects, involving national and international politics. But the role of the state remains central in shaping and reshaping national food policies and promoting food security. 

Furthermore, the state has failed to provide essential statistical services necessary for informed decision-making regarding food availability.

Third, due to patronage politics and poor governance, effective state regulation and monitoring of private sector traders are lacking. This often results in disruptions in the steady supply of food grains.

Fourth, despite some advocating for the mobilisation of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to ensure a stable food grain supply, this government institution is hindered by issues such as rent-seeking, public corruption, and administrative inefficiencies. 

Consequently, it is not capable of effectively managing imports.

"Meanwhile, the challenges associated with food accessibility are intricately tied to the state's inherent weaknesses, marked by limited capacity, poor governance, rent-seeking behaviour, corruption, and partial reform efforts," Professor Islam explained.

Traditionally, the Public Food Distribution System (PFDS) has been instrumental in generating entitlements in Bangladesh through a variety of projects and programmes. His book highlights three key weaknesses within the PFDS.

First, it operates as a highly politically motivated system, often undermining its humanitarian objectives. 

Second, the state's commitment to promoting food security through the PFDS is questionable, evident in budgetary allocation trends. 

Third, the Social Safety Net programmes do not fully address food security concerns, particularly among the vulnerable poor. 

Its inception, development, and current practices suggest that the programme's primary purpose is to ensure regime survival using state resources rather than genuinely advancing food security.

On the other hand, the book highlights how sudden price hikes can hinder entitlement generation and examines state efforts to regulate the market and stabilise prices.

However, Professor Islam finds that market regulation in Bangladesh is primarily driven by political agendas. 

Under political pressure, neopatrimonial regimes carry out basic market monitoring and price stabilisation efforts mainly to maximise political gains rather than addressing the root causes of market failures.

Consequently, public policies fail to provide effective remedies and enhance economic efficiency.

The book systematically dissects the government's failure in public intervention in foodgrain markets.

The market structure significantly influences the prevalence of bribery, extortion, and illicit payments. 

The state not only fails to provide institutional and infrastructural support for markets but also allows illegal activities that weaken the market mechanism. This tolerance stems from the patronage politics characteristic of neopatrimonial governance.

We often blame syndicates for price hikes. However, Dr M Nahid Sattar, professor at the Department of Agricultural Economics at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), said that syndicates are actually symptoms of a deeper problem. 

"Syndicates can form when the scope for fair competition is restricted in the market. The overall environment in our country is not business-friendly, which leads to a few specific groups dominating and forming syndicates," he said.

"Appropriate infrastructure is needed for smooth functioning of the agricultural supply chain. But not all of our allocated budget for infrastructure is utilised properly. Much of it is misused or misallocated every year. This is another systemic failure, which ultimately affects prices and, consequently, our food security," he added.

In Bangladesh, the ruling parties, particularly during the Awami League's tenure, often blamed global factors like the Russia-Ukraine War, Covid-19 pandemic, etc. for price hikes. How true were they? 

Professor Sattar said that while they are partially true, it is also crucial to recognise that hunger and food insecurity in Bangladesh are not solely tied to global food price hikes.

"For instance, it's often said that the price hike is due to the rise in the dollar's value. However, one of the key reasons behind this increase in the dollar's value is capital flight. This is certainly a failure on the part of the government," he said.

Food security of a nation-state has multi-dimensional aspects involving national and international politics. 

But the role of the state remains central in shaping and reshaping national food policies and promoting food security.