JnU Correspondent

Dr. Abed Chaudhury, the scientist behind the groundbreaking discovery of Panchabrihi rice, has expressed his frustration over the lack of recognition for talent in Bangladesh. He stated, "In our ministries, we have to meet with secretaries who feel sleepy while listening to us. In the end, they offer us tea and biscuits and send us away. Talents are not valued as citizens. To meet ministers, one needs personal connections. However, when I was in Australia, if I called the day before, MPs and ministers would arrange a meeting the next day."

He also mentioned his struggle in securing a short 15-minute meeting with Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

Dr. Abed Chaudhury shared these views at a seminar titled "Food Security and Sustainable Development in Bangladesh," organized by the Global South Studies and Research Center (GSSRC) on Tuesday at the virtual classroom of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at Jagannath University (JnU).

He further stated, "My patents are registered abroad, not in Bangladesh, because our government does not provide any support. However, I chose a rural area in my country for my research so that Bangladesh could benefit from it. In our country, if someone does something remarkable, they are not valued unless an MIT scholar acknowledges it."

Dr. Abed also emphasized that science should not be limited to scientists alone, saying, "Just like poetry is not exclusive to literature students, science should also be made accessible to the general public. Through the democratization of innovation, we developed Panchabrihi rice, and now we are working on other crops such as caraway, flax, eggplant, and okra. Our research continues. Last year, we invented fatherless seeds, which significantly contribute to carbon and methane mitigation."

JnU VC urges support for innovation :

Speaking as the chief guest, JnU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr. Md. Rezaul Karim called on both government and private sectors to support Dr. Abed Chaudhury’s innovations. He remarked, "We must explore ways to make time more productive in the future. As children, we saw roots sprouting new plants, but they never bore grains. Thanks to Dr. Abed Chaudhury, those roots now produce rice. Panchabrihi rice will play a vital role in increasing food production and ensuring food security."

Scholars Appreciate Dr. Abed’s Vision :

JnU Treasurer Dr. Sabina Sharmin, speaking as a special guest, noted, "Listening to Dr. Abed Chaudhury, he sometimes seemed like a poet, sometimes a social scientist. His research focuses on increasing rice production, and we will undoubtedly benefit from his findings."

In his presidential speech, Professor Rois Uddin, Chairman of the Islamic Studies Department and General Secretary of JnU Teachers’ Association, said, "Today's program was an introduction to the globally renowned scientist Dr. Abed Chaudhury. Soon, we will organize a larger event with all students, where he will be the keynote speaker. He has numerous discoveries across different fields, and we aim to learn about them in detail."

The seminar was moderated by Dr. Md. Anisur Rahman from the Department of Islamic History and Culture, while Prof Dr. Imranul Haque, Director of the JnU Research Cell, delivered the welcome speech.