site-logo

Bangladesh Stakeholder Consultation on Agricultural Biotechnology

    December 4, 2024
    9:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Edward M. Kennedy Center
    Dhaka, Bangladesh

The reduction of poverty, food and nutritional security, and agricultural growth in Bangladesh have all been prioritized in the country’s “National Agricultural Policy 2018.”  The policy places particular emphasis on the utilization of contemporary methods, such as biotechnology, to create crop types that are nutrient-rich, disease-resistant, and stress-tolerant. Different research organizations and universities in Bangladesh are engaged in research on a variety of crop improvement programs and such programs are advancing well.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), with the support of the Agriculture & Food Systems Institute (AFSI) and South Asia Biosafety Program (SABP), convened a day-long stakeholder consultation workshop on December 4, 2024 to solicit feedback from researchers at the National Agricultural Research System (NARS), private sector developers in the seed industry, and other stakeholders, with the aim of identifying operational needs for Bangladesh to consider as the development of biotechnology in the country moves forward.

Agenda

9:00 am

Registration

Ms. Dil Afroj Moni, Program Officer, South Asia Biosafety Program (SABP), Bangladesh

 

Inaugural Session

9:30 am

Welcome Address and Introduction to the Event

Dr. Rakha Hari Sarker, Professor, Department of Botany, Dhaka University, Bangladesh

9:35 am

Global Context on Biotechnology and Biosafety

Dr. Andrew F. Roberts, CEO, Agriculture and Food Systems Institute (AFSI), USA

9:40 am

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Bangladesh Work Together in Agricultural Research and Development (R&D)

Sarah Gilleski, Agricultural Attache, USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS), USA

9:45 am

Keynote Presentation: Agricultural Biotech Policy and Research in Bangladesh

Dr. Md. Abdus Salam, Member Director, Crop Division, BARC, Bangladesh

10:10 am

Speech by Special Guest

Dr. Nazmun Nahar Karim, Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Bangladesh

10:20 am

Speech by Chief Guest

Dr. Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh

10:40 am

Tea Break

Understanding the Landscape for Agricultural Biotechnology Research and Development in Bangladesh Part I

11:00 am

Current Experience with Biotech Research and Product Development at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI)

Dr. Mahmuda Khatun, Chief Scientific Officer, BARI, Bangladesh

11:20 am

Advanced Biotech Research for the Improvement of Rice Varieties at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI)

Dr. Mohammad Khalequzzaman, Director General, BRRI, Bangladesh

11:40 am

Current Experience with GM Cotton Development and Cultivation in Bangladesh

Dr. Md. Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib, Executive Director, Cotton Development Board (CDB), Bangladesh

12:00 pm

Questions and Discussion

Dr. Andrew F. Roberts (moderator)

12:30 pm

Lunch Break

Understanding the Landscape for Agricultural Biotechnology Research and Development in Bangladesh Part II

1:30 pm

Status of Modern Agricultural Research at ACI Seed and Future Programs for Product Development

Mohammad Mizanur Rahaman, Business Operation Manager, ACI Seed, Bangladesh

1:50 pm

Effective R&D in Agribiotechnology Through the Process of Biosafety to Support Commercialization (Safe by Design)

Dr. Andrew F. Roberts

2:10 pm

Open Discussion: Needs and Challenges

Dr. Andrew F. Roberts (moderator)

3:00 pm

Close of the Workshop

Discover Related Events