A neglected day

If we, human beings hold life in esteem, then bio-diversity is the rainbow of life itself and it is beautiful !

All forms of life on earth depends on biological diversity for the basic goods and ecological services. The theme for this year was bio-diversity: Food, Water and Health for all. What could have been more significant for Bangladesh ? The importance of bio-diversity to ensure food security, adequate water supply and protection of medicinal plants for health must be realised.

However, in spite of all this omission it was heartening to read your coverage on the outstanding endeavour made by a professor of Crop Botany Department of Mymensingh Agriculture University towards producing sapling of KIGELIA a rare medicinal tree .The odd pair of this tree, now 88 years old, still stand on the campus of Rangpur College. Experiment with the fluid extracted from the bark and roots of Kigelia shows curative quality for skin cancer called Melanoma.

Nearly 30 years ago, Bangladesh National Herbarium announced 182 species of medicinal plants. Six years back another research work under the sponsorship of Bangla Academy analysed the chemical constituents and uses of 449 medicinal species. More recently, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies identified 295 medicinal plants from Chanda Beel, a wetland of only 25 Sq. kilometre!

These studies no doubt establish the utmost importance of this natural source as the primary basis for human resource development. We must take stock of our medicinal wealth. It is necessary to examine as to how and what has been done in protecting this knowledge of traditional medicine and establishing linkages with the modern pharmaceutical industries within the country. Can we be so foolish as not to realise that the so called poor country is really a rich kingdom of bio-diversity ?