Gazipur: A seven-day Annual Research Review Workshop 2024-25 of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) was inaugurated on Thursday at the BRRI headquarters auditorium in Gazipur. BRRI Director General Dr. Mohammad Khalequzzaman presided over the inaugural ceremony, with Agriculture Ministry Secretary Dr. Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian attending as the chief guest.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the event also saw the presence of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Executive Chairman Abdus Salam, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Abdur Rahim, and Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) Acting Chairman Osman Bhuiyan as special guests. The workshop brings together representatives from BRRI, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), BARC, DAE, International Rice Institute (IRI), and officials from various government and private organizations and universities.
During his address, Dr. Mohammad Khalequzzaman highlighted BRRI’s continuous efforts to ensure food security for nearly 18 crore people in Bangladesh. He emphasized that BRRI’s research initiatives have set a global standard, particularly in strengthening rice research to meet the nation’s nutritional needs. He noted that approximately 70 percent of the country’s cultivable land now grows BRRI-developed rice varieties, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the total national rice production.
BRRI has developed 121 rice varieties, including eight hybrid varieties, many of which are adapted to adverse climatic conditions and enhanced with improved nutritional value. The workshop aims to review ongoing research activities, share findings, and formulate future strategies to boost rice productivity and food security in Bangladesh.