Biotech Updates

Prime Minister Supports Biotechnology for Agriculture Development in Bangladesh

August 26, 2011

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her support to the adoption of biotechnology and genetically modified crops in Bangladesh for agricultural development, food security and poverty alleviation in a high officials meeting with a delegation of Cornell University scientists led by Dr. Ronnie Coffman and relevant government ministers last 17 August, 2011. The Prime Minister thanked the scientists for their continuous collaboration with the National Agricultural Research System scientists in developing their capacity to generate improved crops through biotechnology, enabling capacities for the effective handling of GM products and for crop variety development in Bangladesh.

Currently, Bangladesh is conducting greenhouse trials of late blight resistant potato and Golden Rice, and is in the advanced stage of multi-locational trial for Bt brinjal.

The visit of the Cornell University scientists is part of the collaborative research work on Bt eggplant with Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute under the Agriculture Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSP II). Similar collaborations exist with US universities including the University of California Davis and five national agricultural universities to develop improved seeds of field and horticultural crops.

For details, contact Prof. K. M. Nasiruddin of Bangladesh Biotechnology Information Center at nasirbiotech@yahoo.com.