This was stated by Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Mokhlesur Rahman while addressing a meeting as chief guest at the auditorium of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) yesterday.

The meeting titled 'Introducing BFRI-innovated technology and exchange of views with journalists' was chaired by BFRI Director Dr Md Ashraful Hoque.

Mokhlesur urged BFRI scientists to intensify their work for preservation, development and expansion of forestland in the country.

He urged BFRI authorities to turn the institute spreading over around 75 acres of land into a research ground for the students of forestry, environment, botany and soil science departments of different public and private universities.

"BFRI could also create scope for training of the newly recruited forest officials who are going to neighbouring countries like Pakistan and India for the same purpose every year," he observed.

BFRI Chief Research Officer Dr Md Khairul Alam said since the inception of the institute in 1968, its scientists succeeded in innovating improved variety of seed and plant, developing bud cutting (Kanchi Kalam) and tissue culture in bamboo plant, manufacturing of quality furniture from rubber timber and use of local timber as railway slipper.

He said the institute also initiated some afforestation projects to develop forests in the northern districts.

The BFRI director in his speech underscored the need for manpower and structural development of the institute to meet the present demand.

Speakers at the meeting also called for increasing annual allocation for research to help develop forest resources and expand forestland in the country.

They observed that the allocation made for research is very insignificant.

The meeting was told that of the total allocation of Tk 9 crore for BFRI in 2006-07 fiscal, only Tk 60 lakh went for research, and the rest was spent as salaries and allowances.

Senior scientists of BFRI and representatives of different electronic and print media were present at the meeting.