ABSTRACT Background Food insecurity (FIS) affects around 25% of Bangladesh's population, and data from developed nations report higher FIS rates among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), potentially worsening glycemic control. The importance of FIS to T2D has not been studied in developing countries such as Bangladesh, with substantial disparities in healthcare access, especially between rural and urban areas. We evaluated the relationships between food insecurity and glycemic control in the context of area of residence among individuals with T2D in Bangladesh. Methods A total of 849 individuals with T2D attending diabetes clinics in four districts of Bangladesh completed a validated questionnaire to assess the FIS (a score ≥ 3 is indicative of FIS), which was compared with their sociodemographic and biochemical data. Two‐way anova and multiple linear and binary logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Both HbA1c levels (10.8% vs 9.5, P 0.05)). Conclusions In Bangladesh, rural residence is associated with poor glycemic control, irrespective of food security status, and thus is an important social determinant of diabetes care that warrants further exploration.