Environment, forest and climate change and water resources adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has underscored the importance of valuing food producers鈥攆armers, peasants and fishermen鈥攚ho preserve and sustain culinary heritage.
鈥楩ood should not remain only a matter of corporate interest. It must also uplift the status of those who produce it and celebrate the culture that continuously evolves around it,鈥� she said while speaking as chief guest at the event titled Uniting Asia Through Food, Tourism, Trade and Culture.
The event was organised as part of the Taste Asia Festival Roadshow at a hotel in Gulshan, Dhaka on Tuesday evening.
Highlighting the unifying power of food, Rizwana Hasan observed that it was very important for Asian countries to exchange culture and traditions as this created a stronger bond within the region.
鈥楩ood is not only a form of recreation, but also a vital part of our heritage. In this era of globalisation, Asian cuisines鈥攕uch as Indonesian, Filipino, Malaysian and Chinese鈥攁re increasingly popular worldwide. Bangladeshi food, too, has great potential to reach global consumers and build a strong brand identity,鈥� she said.
She praised the organisers for bringing Asian nations together through culinary traditions, noting that while Asian cuisines shared certain similarities, their diversity was what made them unique and worth celebrating.
She further added that food had the extraordinary ability to unite people, encourage dialogue and strengthen solidarity across borders.
The event was attended by Nina P Cainglet, ambassador of the Philippines to Bangladesh; Mohammad Azaz, administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation; and celebrity chef Tommy Miah, MBE, among others.
