New full-fledged agricultural research center at Gopalganj

॥ Manoj Kumar Saha
Tungipara (Gopalganj), November 4, 2023 (BSS): The construction of a full-scale agricultural research center of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute at Gopalganj has been completed. This center will be inaugurated this year. It has been built with the aim of creating a working environment for national and international researchers interested in working on agricultural diversity as well as floating agriculture in the southwestern region, diverse crop cultivation in submerged slightly saline land. This center will play a major role in the development of farmers and agriculture in the south-western region through research.
The Ministry of Agriculture has adopted a 5-year agricultural development project by establishing an agricultural research center of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute in Gopalganj district and strengthening environmental friendly research programs in the southwestern region of the country.
Under that project, the construction work of the research center started in 2020 at a cost of Tk 146 crore 57 lakh on 20 acres of land in Ghonapara near Gopalganj district city.
The construction work of the center was going on despite the corona. Project PD Dr. MM Kamruzzaman worked tirelessly even during the global pandemic Corona. Therefore, the construction of a full-fledged agricultural research center has been completed within the stipulated time.
Research center project director. MM Kamruzzaman said, acquisition of 20 acres of land for the center, cutting of soil, filling of soil, construction of electricity substation, work of power supply line, field equipment, office equipment, furniture, cars and motorcycles have been purchased. Construction of office cum lab building and extension building of the center have been completed. The construction work of staff accommodation building, worker shed, overhead tacking and boundary wall has been completed. Inside the center 3 thousand 600 square meter RCC road construction and 3 elevators have been installed in the office cum lab building. Lab equipment has been purchased.
The project director also said that this project started in 2018. This project was completed on June 30 this year.
Research center project director. MM Kamruzzaman also said that agriculture and farmers of this region are under threat due to climate change. The main objective of this project is the agricultural development of 38 upazilas of 5 districts in the three divisions of the southwestern region.
The project director said that the full-fledged agricultural research center will strengthen research activities for the development of agriculture, invent new technologies, produce and supply quality seeds, verify the utility and potential of new varieties of crops, fruits, vegetables, pulses, potatoes, oil seeds, wheat, corn, coconut, The increase in oil palm and date palm production will greatly contribute to the increase in farmers’ income. Here university students, national and international researchers are being created working environment. This full-fledged agricultural research center has been developed as an institution with international standards. There is a rest house and restaurant of international standard here. It has been turned into a tourist spot within the district of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Dr. Gopalganj Agricultural Research Center senior scientific officer. HM Khairul Basar said that the center will play a major role in the development of agriculture and farmers in the region. This will increase the production of crops. There will be a great improvement in the socio-economic condition of the farmer.
A. Quader Sardar, deputy director of Gopalganj Khamarbari of the Directorate of Agricultural Extension, said that the agricultural research center will develop agriculture in 38 upazilas of 5 districts of 3 divisions. The institute’s research will eliminate the limitations of agriculture in the region. Farmers will benefit. I expect that the crop production of the country will increase.