Photo: BSS

GAZIPUR, Jan 15, 2026 (BSS) – 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, while Agriculture Ministry Secretary Dr. Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian attended as the chief guest.

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 were present as special guests.

Speaking as the chair, Dr. Mohammad Khalequzzaman said BRRI is working relentlessly to ensure food security for nearly 18 crore people of the country. He said that BRRI’s research initiatives have become a global example, particularly in strengthening rice research to meet the nation’s nutritional needs.

He said about 70 percent of the country’s cultivable land is now planted with BRRI-developed rice varieties, which contribute nearly 80 percent of the total national rice production. 

BRRI has developed 121 rice varieties, including eight hybrid varieties, many of which are tolerant to adverse climatic conditions and enriched with improved nutritional value.

Representatives from BRRI, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), BARC, DAE, International Rice Institute (IRI), as well as officials from various government and private organizations and universities, are participating in the workshop.

The workshop aims to review ongoing research activities, share findings, and formulate future strategies to enhance rice productivity and food security in Bangladesh.