A two-day international conference on biochemistry and molecular biology began at Chittagong University on Saturday.
The minister for environment and forest, Hasan Mahmud, inaugurated the programme at the auditorium of BBA Faculty.
Pran Gopal Datta, vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, was present as the special guest while Syed Salehen Qadri, president of the Bangladesh Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Khan Tawhid Osman, dean of microbiology department of CU, were also present as guests of honor at the inaugural ceremony.
Anwarul Azim Arif is the chief patron of the conference.
Hasan Mahmud said Bangladesh was an over-populated country but yet it had achieved self-sufficiency in food, without which it was impossible to develop the infrastructure.
‘We have been facing two main problems of producing more food on small land and preserving the food without using chemical,’ the minister said and urged the scientists to find out the best possible solution to the problems.
The programme was chaired by conference chairman and pro-vice-chancellor of CU Professor Alauddin.
The Bangladesh Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the department of biological science and molecular biology jointly arranged the conference.
More than 120 research papers and articles would be present in three technical sessions.
A total of 300 scientists, teachers and specialists including Malaysia, Japan, Chine and Bangladesh are taking part in the conference.