Subject: 
            Bangladesh Entering Molecular Biology Age
       Date: 
            29 Nov 1996 15:01:09 GMT
       From: 
            "Ahmad S. Islam" <islam@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu>
Organization: 
            The University of Texas at Austin
 Newsgroups: 
            soc.culture.bangladesh


Dear SCB readers:

With the signing of charter by the Treaty Section of the Office Legal 
Affairs at the United Nations, New York, Bangladesh  has become a member 
country to the International Centre of Genetic Engineering and 
Biotechnology (ICGEB). Bangladesh as a full member of ICGEB  will be 
participating in its Board of Governor's Meeting to be held at Trieste 
Italy from December 2-4, '96. Professor A. S. Islam, the President of 
the Bangladesh Association for Plant Tissue Culture is attending the 
Board Meeting to represent Bangladesh.

       Compared to its neighbouring countries Bangladesh is almost TEN 
years behind in the AREA of DNA RECOMBINANT and GENETIC ENGINEERING. 
Bangladesh should take full advantage of the membership of ICGEB in 
order to reap the benefit of this emerging fascinating high technology 
which hold great promise to developing countries as well as through 
production of: environmental friendly pest and disease resistant crops 
such as Tungro Virus resistant rice and Lepidopteran caterpillar 
resistant jute varieties, cheap biogas by the use of genetically 
engineered bacteria, vaccines by the genetically engineered microbes 
against fatal malaria, diarhoeal diseases, hepatitis B, diagnostics 
using DNA recombinant Biotechnology. Collaborative research work in 
these areas are being carried out in ICGEB countries and some of the 
results are very encouraging.

                With the help of ICGEB and friendly countries Bangladesh must develop 
its own technology in order to avoid falling into the trap of 
Multinational Companies who have been exploiting us in collaboration of 
unscruplous business tycoons.
Ahmad S. Islam