Use bio-technology to meet growing food demand

Lands for agriculture are decreasing and so yield must be increased, they said at a seminar on 'Bio-technology and Bio-Safety: Awareness Building Among Media Professionals, held on Saturday at the auditorium of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA).

International Service for Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Application (ISAAA) and Bio-technology Department of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC) jointly organis the day long seminar with Prof Dr Rafiqul Islam Sarker of BAU Research System (BAURES) in the chair.

Prof Dr M Amirul Islam, Vice-Chancellor of BAU, spoke there as the chief guest while Dr MA Razzaque, Member Director (Cops) of BRAC, presented the theme paper titled "Challenges of Bio-technology for present century."

Dr Md Nurul Alam, Executive Chairman of BRAC; Dr Md Ziauddin, Director General of BINA; Prof Dr Md Ali Newaz of Agriculture Faculty of BAU; Prof Dr Lutful Hassan of the Department of Genetics; Prof Dr Md Bahadur Meah, Head of Plant Protection Department and Dr Emdadul Haque Chowdhury of BAU; Prof Dr Rakh Hari Sarkar of Botany Dept of Dhaka University; Dr GP Das, Country Director of Agri-Biotechnology Support Project (ABSP); Prof Dr KM Nasiruddin, National Coordinator, ISAAA and Dr Fouzia Yusuf Hafeez, a scientist on genetic engineering from Pakistan addressed the seminar as resource persons.

The BAU Vice-chancellor said bio-scientists should interact with journalists to make them aware of bio-technology.

"We would be dependent on others till we are self- reliant. So we must adopt bio-technology", he said

Farmers should also be made aware of this, he added.

Rakh Hori Sarker said we use pesticide in a massive way, which enter our food chain. Bio-technology can save us from this and give more yield.

Bio-technology has also some risks, so we should apply it very carefully, taking the practical result into consideration, Dr Nurul Alam of BRAC said.

Pakistani Scientist Dr Fouzia said bio-fertiliser is massively used in Pakistan and its prospect in Bangladesh is also very good. She also answered questions from journalists and scientists.