Bangladesh’s lone national institute for research on forest resources, which has invented over 50 popular technologies, is struggling with half of its posts for researchers lying vacant and laboratories with scant modern tools.
Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) Director (In-Charge) Dr Shaheen Akhter said they had 103 posts for researchers and about 50% of them were still vacant. “The recruitment process for first and second class officers through the PSC is lengthy,” she said.
The BFRI has 21 research stations and sub-stations across the country. Researchers said they needed cutting-edge equipment to further their work but the government is yet to procure them.
They said the institute could play a big role in inventing technologies and developing forest resources if its issues were addressed.
Mohammad Shahid Ullah, Divisional Forest Officer of its Silviculture Research Division noted that furnishing laboratories with modern equipment would inject dynamism into research. “Researchers should be sent abroad for training. It will broaden their outlook and help them keep up-to-date with research works from around the world,” he added.
The BFRI was established in 1955 at Chittagong’s Sholoshahar to invent technology for the improvement and development of forest resources. It was upgraded to a full-fledged national research institute in 1968 and put under the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 1985. It was affiliated with the National Agriculture Research System in 1996.
Director Shaheen admitted that shortage of researchers was affecting research works. “But we have continued our works despite that and have invented over 50 popular technologies so far.”
Transferable technologies developed at Forest Products Branch include increasing service life of rural housing materials, utilisation of rubber wood, producing high quality pulp from low-grade jute, timber seasoning using solar energy, novelty articles from laminated wood, and alternative use of bamboos.
Such technologies developed at Forest Management Branch include simple technique for propagation of bamboos, nursery and plantation techniques for indigenous and exotic tree species, nursery techniques for important mangrove species, aided natural regeneration in the Sundarbans, propagation and conservation of medicinal plants, pests and disease management for major plantation species, planting tree seedlings with minimum tillage and cost, and agro-forestry techniques for hill farming.
The institute also boasts rich museums of Herbarium, Jailerium, Arboretum, Bambusetum, insects and fungi, stuffed rare wild animals and forestry.
For example, the Herbarium has around 30,000 specimens of different types of trees. The Arboretum has 60 local, 20 foreign species of trees and 10 species of cane. Bambusetum has a collection of 33 species of local bamboos while the insects and fungi museum boasts 6,000 specimens.
But its crown jewel is the museum of wild animals that boasts the richest and rarest collection in South East Asia.
BFRI Director Dr Shaheen said the institute needed an overhaul. “We have sent a Tk110 crore project proposal to the concerned ministry to expand research and modernise the institute. We hope our problems will be solved once the project is implemented.”
