RN Desk: The seven-day “Annual Research Review Workshop 2024–25” of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has been inaugurated. The opening ceremony was held on Thursday morning, January 15, 2026, at the BRRI headquarters auditorium in Gazipur. The event was inaugurated by Dr. Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, as the Chief Guest.

The session was chaired by BRRI Director General Dr. Mohammad Khalequzzaman. Special guests included Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Abdus Salam, Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Abdur Rahim, and Acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) Osman Bhuiya.

In his presidential speech, BRRI Director General Dr. Mohammad Khalequzzaman stated that BRRI is working tirelessly to ensure food security for 180 million people. He noted that BRRI’s research activities serve as an example to the world. He also emphasized that the institute has intensified research efforts to meet nutritional demands through rice consumption.

Representatives from BRRI, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), BARC, DAE, and various government and private organizations and universities participated in the workshop. Detailed information on recent achievements and progress in rice research and extension activities was presented during the inaugural session.

Currently, 75 percent of the country’s cultivated land is planted with rice varieties developed by BRRI, which contribute to approximately 80 percent of the nation’s total rice production. So far, BRRI has developed 121 high-yielding rice varieties, including eight hybrid varieties. Several of these varieties are tolerant to adverse environmental conditions and enriched with improved nutritional qualities.