The Invention Gallery of the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) is open for visits from entrepreneurs, science enthusiasts and individuals curious about inventions.
Situated by the BCSIR secretariat office, the gallery has showcased a number of samples, replicas and models of scientific research conducted by BCSIR since 1955. The models and samples had previously been housed in different departments, but two years ago a gallery collected them and opened to the public, in order to to celebrate all the inventions of Bangladeshi scientists.
BCSIR Chairman Md. Faruque Ahmed said this innovation gallery was launched to educate people about Bangladesh's scientists' inventions over the last 60 years.
“Now people can visit our innovation gallery, educate themselves and get business ideas from our inventions,” said Ahmed.
He said the innovation gallery also shows that Bangladesh has unique inventions that are ready to be used in different industries.
The gallery has display cases for 11 different institutions of BCSIR in a 2,200 square feet room, where more than 200 inventions are on display.
The display case of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) showcases formalin-treated produce and fertilizers on plant-based foods. I also harks back to when a plastic egg hoax was all over social media. BCSIR scientists helped debunk the plastic egg hoax, and the document doing so is displayed in the IFST section.
Mohammad Tariqul Hasan, senior scientific officer of the Food Toxicology Research section of BCSIR, said they launched a research project in 2016 and found no trace of plastic eggs on the local market. They collected eggs from poultry farms and different parts of the city, and ran tests on them. Eventually the BCSIR scientists found no trace of adulterated eggs.
Other displays include BCSIR scientists' inventions such as: the natural fruit and vegetable wash Cleanava, genetically modified wheat flour, soya flour, a formalin detection kit, a health drink, and other health foods.
Another exhibit features information about the recycling of plastics and other waste materials, for example, how beverage cans can be reprocessed as aluminum. At the end of the gallery stands a recycled beverage can inside the display case of the Institute of Mining, Mineralogy and Metallurgy.
Though the gallery was inaugurated nearly two years ago on July 30, 2017, visitor turnout is still low. However, students and small business entrepreneurs do visit the gallery to get business ideas, and for educational purposes.
“This gallery is open for all but it is aimed at small business entrepreneurs who are thinking about launching a business,” said Editor of BCSIR Mohammad Ishak Molla.
He added: "We want to encourage small business entrepreneurs to be inspired by our innovation, and then if they are interested, we can lease them [their inventions] out for commercialization."
BSCIR has already leased out five entrepreneurs' products including: activated carbon, duplicating ink, red pigment, printing ink and sugar cane lemon juice, said Dr. Most. Hosney Ara Begum, the principal scientific officer and research coordinator of BCSIR.
The BCSIR Invention Gallery is open for visitors from Sunday through Thursday between 11am and 1pm, and admission is free of charge.
