He made the call at the inaugural session of the 10th meeting of the Saarc Food Security Reserve Board at a city hotel.

The minister said some hundreds of millions of people in Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) region continue to suffer from malnutrition which deteriorate further during the time of disasters.

He said the problem could not be solved yet due to lack of cooperation among the countries in food storage, supply and management.

"We must emphasise the extension services in horticulture, poultry, livestock and fisheries sectors to ensure the access of the neglected people to food," he added.

The minister said Saarc food security reserve, that stands at 241thousand metric tons, is not adequate, but it could contribute significantly to protect the needy at times of disasters if managed properly.

Since the establishment of the reserve, no Saarc country has used any of its food grain, he added.

Deputy Minister for Food and Disaster Management Asadul Habib Dulu said the idea of addressing the demand of food through food security is very appreciable.

Md Amjad Hossain, joint secretary of the ministry, said Bangladesh made a notable development in the production of food grain, but the ultra poor people have limited access to food due to low per capita income (US$407).

He noted that about 44.3 percent people in the country are below the food-based poverty line.

So the government has laid emphasis on the programmes like Food for Works, Vulnerable Group Development, Vulnerable Group Feeding, Food for Flood Rehabilitation, Test Relief and Gratuitous Relief, he added.

"These will help reduce poverty, create employment opportunities and develop human resources," he noted.