The New Nation - Internet Edition

AT a recent seminar held in Dhaka, it was revealed that a large amount of public money allocated as 'special grants' for scientific researches has not been used due to lack of quality project proposals. Bulk of the special grants remained unutilised for lack of initiatives of both scientists or researchers of universities and the bureaucrats sitting at the government ministries. A seminar on 'Special Grants in Different Kinds of Science and Technological Research Projects and its Contribution to Fruitful Research and Development' organised by the Science and ICT Ministry also revealed that only Tk 5.29 crore was disbursed out of total Tk 14.28 crore allocated for scientific researches under the special grant programme during the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

In the last six years, the Science and ICT Ministry disbursed more than Tk 40 crore among local scientists under special grants, but outcome of the scientific projects was 'not satisfactory'. Regarding irregularities and misuse of grant money in the name of scientific research in the past, various committees will be formed to further strengthen monitoring and evaluation to bring transparency in spending the special grants. The government has allocated Tk 16 crore as special grant for scientists of the universities and private organisations for research for the current 2008-2009 fiscal year.

Scientists are of the view that the fund for research is only 0.005 per cent of the GDP whereas it is 2.3 per cent of the GDP even in newly industrialised countries. Meanwhile, the government has decided to finalise the draft of what is called a 'national science and technology policy' soon possibly within months aiming at building science-oriented society to increase production and employment in various sectors of the economy. Scientific researches should get adequate emphasis in the said policy.