The New Nation - Internet Edition

A Correspondent, Gazipur

A 10-day-long hand on training-workshop of marker-assisted breeding, sponsored by the Generation Challenge Programme in collabo1ation with the International Rice Research institute (IRRI), was inaugurated on Tuesday last at the Bangladesh Rice Resrach Institute (BRRI) in Gazipur.

BRRI Director General Dr Md Nur-e-Elahi and IRRI Senior Scientist Dr Abdelbagi Ismail attended the function as the chief and special guest respectively. Presided over by BRRI Director (Research) Dr M A Salam, IRRI Liaison Scientist Dr M A Hamid Miah and Dhaka University Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Dr Zeba Islam Seraj spoke on the occasion. Among others BRRI Director (Amin) Dr A W Julfiquar, BRRI Research Coordinator Dr Musherraf Hosain, IRRI Molecular Scientist Dr Michael Thomson, Heads of BRRI research divisions and senior officials attended the function.

Sixteen scientists and research fellows from BRRI, Dhaka University and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) are participating in the training course.

Later, the chief guest along with special guest inaugurated the newly established Market-Assisted Selection Laboratory and Molecular Laboratory at the Plant Breeding Division of BRRI.

The speakers highlighted the importance of human resource development for the use of advanced technology like marker-assisted selection breeding for the development of rice varieties especially suitable for adverse conditions like salinity, flash flood, cold and drought in the context of climate change.