National Desk :
A day-long seminar on informing the implementation progress of the National Gene Bank establishment project was held on Thursday (June 27, 2024) at the conference hall of the National Institute of Biotechnology, Savar in Dhaka.
National Gene Bank Establishment (1st Revised) project and National Institute of Biotechnology (NIB) was organized the seminar and Minister for Science and Technology, Architect Yafes Osman was present as the chief guest. Biotechnologist Dr. Anwar Hossain spoke as a special guest on the occasion.
Director General of NIB Md. Salimullah, gave a welcome speech at the seminar. The National Gene Bank (1st Revised) project director Dr.Jahangir Alam presented the keynote on the implementation progress of the National Gene Bank establishment project, The seminar was attended by the concerned ministries, various research institutes, government and private universities, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, around 100 expert representatives of private institutions and NIB scientists and officials.
The day-long seminar informed about the implementation progress of the project. Moreover, detailed discussion on National Gene Bank management policy and opinions of all present were taken. This session was conducted by the Project Director, Dr. Jahangir Alam.
Dr. Jahangir Alam said that in the Gene Bank, plants, animals, fish, micro-organisms, insects, invertebrates, marine, forest and human resources of the country will be centrally preserved and their database will be prepared and preserved. He added, the meeting of the National Task Force on Biotechnology of Bangladesh held on 26 April 2012 chaired by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the final decision to establish the National Gene Bank was taken.
In the light of that decision, National Institute of Biotechnology has adopted the project titled “Establishment of National Gene Bank”, which is almost at the final stage of implementation. He also said that it has a basement with a capacity of about 40 lakh samples, a 12-storey lab cum office and a gene bank building, laboratories and other necessary equipment for facilities, animal sheds, non-seed plant sheds and quarantine sheds, uninterrupted power supply system, dormitory buildings and other residential buildings etc. will exist.