The Ministry of Agriculture, in partnership with the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, organized a rally in the city to celebrate World Food Day on Friday. The theme for this year is 'Achieving Food Security in Times of Crisis'. Agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury kicked off the day's events with the rally, which was followed by a procession starting from Khamar Bari. The event was attended by agriculturists, scientists, officials, and members of the public, as well as hundreds of school children carrying colorful banners and festoons. The program received support from Telefood, a FAO project aimed at ending hunger, bdnews24.com, and Channel i. A seminar to mark the occasion is taking place at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, with the presence of agricultural minister Matia Chowdhury, food and disaster management minister Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, and minister of fisheries and livestock Abdul Latif Biswas. The seminar will also be attended by FAO Bangladesh representative, AD Spijkers. Additionally, a children's painting competition is set to take place at 3pm at Bangladesh Shishu Academy. Furthermore, a three-day fair centered around 'Agriculture and Food' will be launched at the Krishibid Institution premise at noon. Another fair with a similar theme will also be held at Depasai village in Somobhat union under Dhamrai upazila. Channel i will broadcast the program live. In the afternoon, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will unveil postage stamps and envelopes in honor of the day. Additionally, districts and upazila administrations nationwide are marking the day with discussion meetings and rallies. President Zillur Rahman emphasized the importance of ensuring food security in a changing climate on the eve of World Food Day, stating that research and technological innovation can help increase food production. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina emphasized that agriculture, which is the most affected and vulnerable sector due to climate change, must be prioritized to ensure food security. She noted that Bangladesh achieved self-dependency in agriculture during the previous Awami League government's tenure in 1996-2001, but the succeeding government did not maintain this success. The current government is committed to regaining self-dependency and ensuring food security for all. In his statement, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the importance of food and nutritional security in ensuring a decent life, quality education, and the success of all Millennium Development Goals. He expressed concern over the increase in the number of people facing food insecurity due to various factors such as volatile food prices, economic crisis, climate change, and conflict. Ban Ki-moon called for coordinated efforts by all nations to address these challenges and ensure vulnerable populations, especially women and children, have access to adequate food for their well-being. FAO representative in Bangladesh AD Spijkers warned that the goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, as outlined in MDG 1, is at risk of setbacks. "The economic crisis and sudden increases in prices have led to a decrease in incomes and access to food for the poor, especially those in the poorest regions of the world," he explained. Spijkers expressed confidence in the government's commitment to achieve self-sufficiency in food by 2012 and maintain it. He encouraged farmers in Bangladesh to strive towards reaching this goal, believing that they are capable of doing so.