Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar has called on farmers, scientists and policymakers to prioritise the protection of local species and biodiversity, warning against excessive corporate control over natural resources and the unsafe use of genetic technologies.
Speaking as chief guest at the First International Conference on Life Science, Health and Biotechnology (LIFETECH 2026) at Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST) today, Farida Akhtar said innovation must not come at the cost of national and ecological interests.
“We support scientific innovation, but the use of natural resources under corporate control is not acceptable,” she said. “Genetic modification may sometimes be necessary, but ownership and rights must remain aligned with the interests of local biodiversity.”
The conference, organised by JUST’s Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, aims to strengthen knowledge exchange, expand research and promote international collaboration in life sciences, health and biotechnology.
Ms Akhtar stressed that safeguarding local species through sustainable use is essential to ensuring the long-term security of Bangladesh’s agriculture and aquatic resources. She also issued an ethical warning against practices such as assigning numerical identifiers to genetically modified plants or animals, arguing that such approaches are inhumane and risk stripping farmers of their rights to cultivate indigenous species.
Highlighting the wider value of aquatic resources, the adviser said fish are not only a vital source of nutrition but are increasingly used in skincare and cosmetic products. “Any product developed from these resources should be accessible to all,” she added.
Bangladesh, she noted, is rich in aquatic biodiversity, which is crucial for conserving and developing the country’s water-based resources. She gave particular emphasis to the cultural as well as culinary significance of indigenous black tiger shrimp (bagda). While some industry stakeholders have sought permission to import larvae to farm Pacific white shrimp (vannamei), the government has decided instead to halt such imports and focus on improving native bagda and freshwater prawn (golda) varieties.
The conference was attended by a number of senior academics, including Professor Dr Naqib Muhammad Nasrullah, Vice-Chancellor of Islamic University; Professor Dr Md Nazmul Ahsan, Vice-Chancellor of Khulna Agricultural University; Professor Dr S M Abdul Awal, Vice-Chancellor of Pabna University of Science and Technology; and Professor Dr Hossain Al Mamun, Treasurer of JUST. The event was patronised by JUST Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Abdul Majid, with Professor Dr M Mozammel Haque of Dhaka University’s Department of Microbiology present as a guest of honour. The conference was convened by Professor Dr Md Sherajul Islam, Dean of the Faculty.
Later in the afternoon, Ms Akhtar visited the Freshwater Sub-Station of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute in Jashore. She toured the facilities and was briefed on local fish production, ongoing research activities and recent progress in technology development.
The visit was attended by the institute’s Director General Dr Anuradha Bhadra, Chief Scientific Officer Dr Harunur Rashid, senior scientists and sub-station head Dr Akheri Naima, along with other officials and researchers.