Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) recently organized a workshop titled ‘Basic and Applied Research Project on Jute (Genome) and Review of Progress of Research Program of BJRI’ at its conference room in the capital.
The workshop aimed to review the advancements in genome research related to jute and assess the progress of research programs conducted by BJRI.
Wahida Akhter, secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture; attended the event as the chief guest; while Abdullah Sajjad, chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), attended as a special guest with Md. Abdul Awal in the chair.
Md. Masud Karim, Director General (Additional Secretary) of Agriculture Marketing Department, Rehana Yachmin, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture (Research Division), Md. Tajul Islam Patwari, Director of Agriculture Extension Department (Surface Wing), Dr. Surjit Saha Roy, Director of Agriculture Information Service, Md. Fakhre Alam Ibn Tabib, Executive Director of Cotton Development Board, and Md. Tariqul Islam, Director of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (oilseeds); also attended the event.
During the workshop, Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akhtar was apprised of the progress made in the Genome Project’s research program and visited the project’s laboratory. Kazi Md. Mosaddek Hossain, the Director of the Administration and Finance Department of BJRI, presented the research activities’ achievements. S. M. Mahbub Ali, the Executive Director of BJRI’s Cotton Development Board, outlined the progress in BJRI’s research endeavors.
In her speech as the chief guest, Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akhtar stated that the government has set a target to cultivate jute in 800,000 hectares of land. She called upon entrepreneurs and farmers to explore the multipurpose utilization of jute.
Wahida Akhtar also highlighted that, for the first time, farmer incentives have been provided from the Ministry of Agriculture’s allocation to recognize jute as an agricultural product, reflecting the vision of Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Moreover, Wahida Akhtar emphasized the international standard genome sequencing accomplished by jute research scientists and commended the entrepreneurs for promoting jute as a biodegradable product globally.
She mentioned that Bangladesh is earning approximately Tk 100 to Tk 150 crore through the export of charcoal made from jute chalk to foreign countries, and he expressed optimism that this figure would soon surpass Tk 400 to Tk 500 crore.
Expressing appreciation for jute scientist Dr. Md. Maksudul Alam, the Agriculture Secretary urged researchers to focus on diversifying jute varieties, emphasizing that the potential for jute's variety is limitless, and further exploration in this area would contribute to the progress of the jute industry.
In his speech as the special guest, BADC Chairman Mr. Abdullah Sajjad highlighted how the development of various agricultural products, including jute, has garnered international recognition for Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been honored and awarded by various international organizations. He expressed BADC’s commitment to reducing the foreign exchange cost associated with importing seeds of agricultural products, including jute, and promoting indigenous varieties.
Dr. Md. Abdul Awal, the Director General of BJRI, addressed the workshop as the President. He described BJRI's three wings: the agriculture wing, which focuses on developing new technologies and varieties for farmers; the technical wing, which explores the multipurpose uses of jute in technical terms; and the Jute Diversification wing, which transforms jute into different products.
The workshop was attended by various officials, including Ferdous Ara Dilruba, Director of the Jute Textile Department, Nargis Akhtar, Director of the Agriculture Department, as well as Chief Scientific Officers, Senior Scientific Officers, and Scientific Officers of different levels.