Cereals from plant origin and fish from animal origin are the staple food for Bangladeshis called ‘Mase-Vate-Bangali’. Despite annual 4–5 per cent income growth and 1 per cent poverty reduction, inequalities in incomeexpenditure and consumption have grown significantly. This paper has sought answers to two questions: How household income and expenditure have helped people to maintain their food security? and What are the sources of food and fish consumption inequality? These issues have been examined by using Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2000 data of 7,440 households in Bangladesh. The cost of basic need approach, FGT index and Gini-coefficient analyses have been applied to extensive measure of poverty and inequalities. Results have shown that the growth in cereal production has kept pace with food-population balance, while the poor are extremely reliant on cereals of plant origin and fish of animal origin for their calorie and protein. Classic poverty incidences have been found in income and food consumption measures. The wide variations of inequalities in income, expenditure and specific-food expenditure have indicated typical dynamics and typologies of food security and insecurity. The study has suggested that income of masses is very low which needs multidimensional policy and sustainable development measures to maintain food-security and reduction in poverty in the long-run.