Bangladesh: Science And Technology

The present state of affairs has rather a long historical background. It is also a reflection of the poor economic conditions of the country. Centuries of foreign domination has left Bangladesh with a poor economy, a high density of population and poor infrastructure in many areas including S & T. However, today it is almost universally recognized that S & T can play a crucial role in rescuing developing countries from the clutches of proverty and backwardness. The independence of Bangladesh in 1971 has doubtlessly brought new opportunities for strengthening that S & T infrastructure which would enable the initiation of R & D activities aimed at the solution of the complex socio-economic problems of the nation.

Organizational structure

At the time of independence Bangladesh inherited a small number or research institutions and laboratories, including those in the universities, and a few hundred research scientists. The institutions were mostly regional branches of organizations with headquarters in far off erstwhile West Pakistan. These were scattered under various ministries and organizations, The initial years after independence were a period of consolidation. One of the first acts of the new Government of Bangladesh in 1972 was to create a Science and Technology Division for coordination of the scientific research activities in the country, By now the S & T organizations have increased to about 60 including seven universities.

It is estimated that today Bangladesh has about 50,000 scientists and technologists with postgraduate qualifications and over 100,000 lower level scientific and technological personnel. Of the scientists and technologists, only about 5,000 (1,100 with Ph.D. 2,600 with M.sc. and the rest with other qualifications) work in the R & D institutions and universities the rest are engaged in teaching, administration and other supporting services. While the numbers are relatively small, the proportion of the total pool of S & T personnel engaged in R & D conforms with the general trends in the other developing countries.

Most of the R & D institutions in the country are attached to three major research councils and six older universities (the seventh has started functioning only recently). The research councils are: (a) Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research; (b) Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission; and (c) Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council. A fourth research council is the Bangladesh Medical Research Council. In addition to promotion and coordination of R & D activities, the first two also operate R & D laboratories, institutes and supporting services.

Universities and institutes of higher education are places where high level manpower in S & T is trained and basic research is conducted. In the field of higher education the facilities for science teaching have been increasing steadily over the years. The six established universities in the country have a total enrolment of about 42,000 of which nearly forty percent are in the area of S & T.

There are also 456 degree colleges in the country most of which are privately run. Science is taught up to the degree stage in 152 and up to the post-graduate stage in only 14 of them. Naturally, the best science teaching facilities are provided in the universities. The four general universities are at Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong and Jahangirnagar (Savar). In addition, there are two specialized universities, viz., the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in Dhaka and Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in Mymensingh.

Engineering education is also provided in four Institutes of Technology (BIT) and agricultural education by a Agricultural College in Dhaka. Medical education is provided in eight Medical Colleges and an Institure of Postgraduate Medicine and Research (IPGMR) in Dhaka. The universities between them award about 2,000 masters or higher degrees in S & T every year. Subjects with relatively large annual output (100 or more) are physics, Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Statistics, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Electronics.

The universities and other institutions of higher education mainly conduct fundamental research of an academic nature. Priorities of research are determined by the universities themselves but some coordination is provided by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The UGC sponsors about a dozen research projects in the universities every year. But there is a rather small allocation of less than Taka one million for this purpose. Also, severe limitations of staff and facilities hamper research activities on a large scale. Research at the BUET and BAU is generally more directly related to practical problems of the national economy. For some time now, attempts are being made in the general universities as well to tailor their research programmes to the needs of the economy. This trend is, however, more pronounced in the specialized institutes having specific research goals such as the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Institute of Nutrition and Food Science (INFS) of the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh Institute for Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM) and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (ICDDR), Bangladesh.

Agricultural And Multidisciplinary Research Organizations

Agricultural research is the largest recipient of funds for R & D in the country. Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) at joydebpur is one of the major research organizations in the agricultural sector which has created considerable impact on the national economy within a relatively short period. The institute was established in 1970 to accelerate the pace of rice research with a view to closing the food gap created by galloping population increase. It became a fully autonomous institute by an Act of Parliament in 1973. BRRI has developed more than two dozen high yielding varieties for rice which have been very successful and well accepted by the farmers.

Another multicrop research organization in the field or agriculture is the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Joydebpur, which deals with wheat, maize, millet, pulses, oil seeds, vegetables, fruits, etc. In addition to the central experimental station at Joydebpur, it has a number of regional stations and substations located in the major agro-climatic regions of the country. Other important research organizations in the agriculture sector are Bangladesh Sugarcane Research and Training Institute (BSRTI), Ishurdi, Bangladesh Jute Research Institure (BJRI). Tejgaon, Forest Research Institute (FRI), Chittagong, Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI), Srimangal and Bangladesh Institure of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh.

Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) is a large general research organization conducting multidisciplinary research. Its main laboratories are located in Dhaka and there are regional laboratories in Chittagong and Rajshahi. The BCSIR laboratories in Dhaka specialize in such areas as food science and technology, chemistry of natural products, material sciences, fuel technology, engineering and pilot plant development, etc. The Chittagong laboratories concentrate on chemistry, indigenous medical plants and drug research whereas the Rajshahi laboratories specialize in food processing, fibres and microbiology.

The BCSIR laboratories have so far patented nearly 150 processes and products and of these more than 100 have been leased out to manufacturers; several other processes are awaiting pilot plant studies. An important product developed by the BCSIR laboratories in Dhaka is 'Jutton', a blend of treated jute with other fibres to give it the qualities of cotton to fabricate textile materials. The Institute of Fuel Science of the BCSIR, Dhaka has been conducting studies on biogas plants, solar cookers and improved ovens. Improved ovens developed by the Institute promise to reduce fuel cost by about 50 percent.

Another important multidisciplinary research organization is the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC). A large Atomic Energy Research Establishment (Complex) comprising several related institutes has been set up at Savar, about 40 km to the north of Dhaka. The present R & D work of the Commission relates to health, agriculture, food preservation by irradiation, exploration of minerals, hydrology and electronics instrumentation and maintenance services. The Commission also operates nuclear medical centres based on the use of radioisotops at Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Dinajpur. A scheme for the setting up of a 300 MW Nuclear power plant at Rooppur, in the power deficient northern region of the country, has recently been approved by the government. Attempts are being made to line up finance for the project from friendly countries and donor agencies.

A relatively new multidisciplinary research institution is the Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO) which operates in the field of advanced technology. It was set up in 1980 and within a relatively short time has undertaken significant R & D work in the areas of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, meteorology, ocean resources, water resources, geology, cartography, etc. using satellite imageries. An infra-red aerial photographic survey of the entire country was completed in 1984. A study on water bodies for the Fisheries Department and another on coastal afforestation for the Forest Department have also been completed. Close track is being kept on the movement of the shifting river beds of the country with the help of satellite imageries.

University Research

Among the seven universities in the country, the oldest and largest is the University of Dhaka which has a total enrolment of about 16,000 students including about 4,500 under its two science faculties. About 60 per cent of the science students are distributed among nine departments under the Faculty of Science, the other 40 per cent are in seven departments under the Faculty of Biological Sciences. In addition to various research projects of a fundamental nature, work is under progress on a number of projects of economic importance. In the Faculty of Biological Sciences, in addition to fundamental research in such fields as microbiology, genetics, tissue culture, indigenous medicinal plants, etc., emphasis is laid on research in applied fields related to agriculture, forestry, fisheries, nutrition, etc.

The Faculty of Science of the University of Rajshahi is composed of 12 departments (including a Department of Geology and Mining) and has an enrolment of about 4,000 out of a total enrolment of about 12,000 in the University. The University of Chittagong Faculty of Science is composed of seven departments (including a Department of Marine Biology) and has an enrolment of about 1,400 out of about 6,000 in the University. The Jahangirnagar University, which is of residential character with a small enrolment of about 2,500, has about 1,000 students in five departments in the Faculty of Science.

The two specialized universities, the BUET and BAU have about 4,000 students each. The former has five faculties and 13 departments (including the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering and Water Resources Engineering) and the latter has six faculties. Among other major R&D organizations in the country are the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Institute of Public Health, BIRDEM, Housing and Building Research Institute, Bangladesh Road Research Laboratory and Institute of River Research, Dhaka.

Problems and Solutions

The major problems in the field of scientific and technological research and S&T infrastructure in Bangladesh are poorly developed school and college level science teaching, inadequate financial provision for S&T education and research, poor institutional and management infrastructure, lack of facilities for translation of research results into viable commercial products and poor incentives for scientists engaged in R&D. According to UN recommendations, developing countries should devote at least one per cent of their GDP to R&D; in the case of Bangladesh the provisions are currently estimated at between 0.2 and 0.3 per cent of GDP.

The education in science at the school level is generally poorly developed and this is having its adverse effect of the production of high level manpower in S&T. Science has been introduced in the secondary school curriculum only during the early sixties, but even now it is offered by less than half the pupils who appear at the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination at the end of a ten-year education; the same is the case with Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination after another two years of education. The pass percentages are around 50 percent and 60 percent in these examinations reflecting the poor level of teaching. Science teaching is heavily oriented towards knowledge of facts rather than understanding and application. Even those who pass out of these examinations are not properly grounded in science. While some curriculum reform efforts have been initiated over the last decade in secondary school science, curriculum revision at the higher secondary level still remains to be undertaken. At the B.Sc. level the pass percentages are even lower-of the order of 40 percent and the curriculum has not been updated for many years. The poor quality of science teaching at the college level, in its turn, is affecting school level science teaching because of poorly prepared science teachers.

An important recent development in the area of secondary level science teaching is the ASDB-UNDP supported Secondary Science Education Project which began in 1985. In this project 4,000 relatively underprivileged secondary schools in the country are being assisted with provision of new classroom-laboratories, furniture, science equipment and consumables, books, teacher training and academic supervision services. A similar project, with ASDB assistance, is under consideration for the improvement of science education at the higher secondary and college levels. Similar projects supported by UNDP/UNESCO and IDA/SIDA are in operation in the technical education and technical-vocational training fields.

National Science and Technology Policy

An important step in the improvement of S&T infrastructure in Bangladesh was taken with the announcement by the government of a National Science and Technology Policy in 1986. With a view to identifying research priorities and coordination of research activities among various sectors and institutions, a high level National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) was set up in 1975. After several changes in structure it was

One of the priority tasks to which the SCST devoted its attention was the formulation of a National Science and Technology Policy aimed at attaining scientific and technological competence and self-reliance to enhance productivity and generate employment in various sectors of the economy. A draft policy document was circulated in early 1985 to elicit public opinion. It was generally well received by the scientific community and was finally adopted and announced by the Government in early 1986.

The National Science and Technology Policy envisages multidisciplinary application of science and technology for the solution of the problems of the national economy. With this end in view, the following tasks are identified:
a) Organization and coordination of all research and development work concerning science and technology in the country;
b) Careful selection of the problems facing the country in each vital sector, where solutions are likely to have a significant impact on the economic and socio-cultural development of the country;
c) Promotion of research and strengthening the competence and capability of research institutions including the universities:
d) Establishment of scientific research institutions/laboratories/Centres of Excellence where research of high quality can be carried out in selected areas of national importance;
e) Improvement of the standard of scientific knowledge at all levels from the school to the university;
f) Training of personnel and specialized scientific and technological staff in the research institutions/laboratories and industrial establishments;
g) Ensuring suitable environment for scientific and technological research;
h) Creation of scientific awareness among the broad masses of the people through popularization of science and technology and encouraging innovative activities, especially among the younger generation;
i) Establishment of a national capability for development of indigenous technology and attainment of national capacity for the assessment, selection, acquisition, adoption and adaptation of foreign technology;
j) Creation of centralized facilities for collection and dissemination of scientific information and research (finding;
k) Ensuring adequate fund for the STR sector for the development of infrastructure for R&L activities;
l) Ensuring bilateral, subregional, regional and international scientific and technical collaboration.
In item no. e, relating to education, such measures, among others are emphasized: (i) Primary resources for education and training, namely, qualified teachers, physical facilities, equipment, books, journals, teaching aids, etc. should be ensured; (ii) Adequate provision and proper arrangements for higher training and research in the universities should be made; and (iii) Opportunities including 'open universities' for expansion of science education may be introduced and, to that end, library services should be expanded and improved.

Similarly, in item no. f, relating to manpower training, such tasks are identified for action as follows:
(i) Ensure scientific and technological training at all levels, on a continuous basis at home and abroad, as and when required, so that the research capability of the scientists and technologists is continuously developed and harnessed.
(ii) Give incentives to the universities, research institutes and other educational institutions so that they become more responsive to the problems of society, particularly by integrating them with the production system and the cultural pattern of the country.
(iii) Develop an indigenous managerial and administrative capacity in science and technology.
(iv) Launch a nation-wide quality improvement programme for S&T personnel which will include promotion of doctoral programmes in the universities of the country.
The policy document calls for special efforts to ensure adequate resources (to the tune of one per cent of GNP or five per cent of the Annual Development Programme) for the effective implementation of science and technology policies. It also envisages the creation of a centralized fund for R&D activities out of a contribution of 0.5 percent of the total budget of all productive sectors which will be compulsory for the public sector industries and voluntary for private sector industries. These goals enunciated in the National Science and Technology Policy are yet to be realized.

A matter of considerable recent concern has been the loss of large number of qualified scientific and technological manpower through brain drain. The question of providing sufficient material incentives to the R&D workers and giving them congenial working conditions and supporting services has also been receiving consideration. In 1977 a system of providing National Science and Technology fellowships in three categories - Junior Fellowships, Senior Fellowships and Expert Fellowships - was instituted for talented research workers who could pursue goal oriented research work in their chosen fields for periods ranging from one to three years. The present situation clearly calls for further measures to retain high level scientific and technological manpower so that their talent can be utilized for greater economic benefits to the country through R&D efforts.

Role of professional bodies

Although in a developing country like Bangladesh, government can provide the basic guidelines as to priority, create the necessary infrastructure and allocate resources, R&D work is primarily to be conducted by the scientists and technologists themselves. The role of the professional bodies and their association with policy formulation in S&T is, therefore, of crucial significance. Among the various scientific organizations, the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences and the Bangladesh Association for the Advancement of Science and a number of others have been quite active in the organization of periodic science conferences, seminars and symposia.

It is today well recognized that a national movement is needed for the popularization of science and technology and the creation of an environment in which the entire nation can apply the fruits of science and technology for the improvement of their daily living. A step in this direction has been the organization of National Science Week every year since 1978 in which various educational institutions and research bodies organize mass participation programmes in science. Nearly 400 science clubs throughout the country, which are voluntary socio-cultural organizations, often based in secondary schools and colleges, take active part in the exhibition of innovative projects in science at the district and national levels during the week. These activities promote a general awareness and 'scientific temper' among the broad masses of the population which is a precondition to the development of high level S&T activities in the country.

Needless to say, only a start has been made in the long road to socio- economic development through well planned and judicious use of science and technology in Bangladesh. Some of the immediate goals of the nation are substantial increase of agricultural production, sharp reduction in population growth, conservation of energy and ecological balance and increase in industrial productivity through the utilization of indigenous natural resources and adaptive research. Development of an adequate scientific and technological infrastructure in the country can make a significant impact in these areas to help raise the living standard of the people.