Overview of National Agricultural

Research System

Under the provision of BARC Act 1996, National Agricultural Research System (NARS) has been formed with BARC as the apex body and ten agricultural research institutes (ARIs) are the constituent units. The agricultural universities, NGOs and private sectors, though not integrated but linked with NARS in terms of research collaboration. Among the eleven research organizations including BARC, six are autonomous bodies under Ministry of Agricultural and the remainders are under other ministries and two institutes BFRI (Forest) and SRDI are government departments. Besides these, a proposal is under consideration for inclusion of the BSRTI as the 11^th ARI in NARS.

Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute

As the largest multi-crop research organizations, BARI is mandated to carry out research on a wide variety of crops such as: wheat, tubers, pulses, oilseeds, spices, horticultural crops, etc. Besides crop variety development, the major areas of research are soil and water management, development of farm machineries, cultural management, disease and insect management, vertebrate pest management etc. BARI is organized with three wings, namely, Research, Support Service, and Training and Communications.

BARI headquarter spread over 176 hectares of land of which 126 hectares are experimental fields. Six Regional Stations are located at Ishurdi, Jamalpur, Jessore, Hathazari, Rahmatpur, and Akbarpur. Its 28 Sub-stations are spread all over the country, which includes three Hill Research Stations. Out of 7 Research Centres, 4 are within the HQ campus- Tuber Crops Research Centre, Oilseed Research Centre, Plant Genetic Resource Centre and Horticulture Research Centre and the other three are Wheat Research Centre, located at Dinajpur, Pulse Research Centre at Ishurdi and Spices Research Centre at Bogra. Besides, BARI has number of multi-location trial sites spread over different agro-ecological zones of the country. BARI also collects, conserves and evaluates germplasm of crops. The institute employs about 600 scientists working in different fields.

Bangladesh Rice Research Institute

BRRI conducts research on all aspects of rice in order to develop modern varieties of rice with high yield potential for different ecosystems, develop component technologies for improving productivity of rice-based cropping systems, and transfer rice production technologies through training, workshop, seminar, and publication. Research on development of varieties and production technologies is conducted at the BRRI headquarters at Gazipur and at nine regional stations situated in Comilla, Habiganj, Sonagazi, Bhanga, Barisal, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Kushtia and Satkhira. BRRI employs about 228 scientists. It has been awarded with several national prizes for its outstanding contribution towards rice development.

Bangladesh Jute Research Institute

BJRI conducts research to develop short duration high yielding varieties of jute, kenaf and mesta; develop agronomic and crop protection technologies and processes and equipment for manufacturing new jute products and organize the production, testing and supply of  improved pedigree jute seeds and multiplication, procurement and their distribution to various organizations and selected growers.

Research is organized in two divisions, namely Technology and Agriculture. The Central Research Station is located at Manikgonj. Four regional stations are situated at Faridpur, Rangpur, Kishoregonj and Chandina. The two sub-stations are located at Monirampur (Jessore) and Tarabo (Narayangonj). Besides these stations, BJRI maintains four Farming System Research Sites and eight sub-centres in jute growing areas. The institute employs about 100 scientists.

Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture

BINA conducts research adopting nuclear techniques for the purpose of ensuring a stable and productive agriculture through evolution of new varieties of crops, scientific management of land and water, development of appropriate technology to improve crop production and development of methods for disease and insect  management. BINA has five sub-stations and an annex farm for testing the wide adaptability/location for specific performance of advanced mutant lines of different crops and other technologies generated by the scientists. The sub-stations are located at Ishurdi, Rangpur, Comilla, Magura and Satkhira and the annex farm at Jamalpur. It employs about 80 scientists.

Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute

BSRI conducts research to develop high yielding, high sugar, and disease and pest resistant sugarcane varieties. Its functions are to develop and maintain a germplasm bank through collection of sugarcane varieties, prepare production programmes of sugar, gur and syrup producing carbohydrate enriched crops/plants; conduct research on sugarcane based farming and to identify its economic advantages; and take measures for utilization of technologies regarding sugar, gur and syrup producing crops/plants. BSRI has a Regional Research Station and a Quarantine Station located at Gazipur, a North Regional Station at Thakurgaon, and three sub-stations at Chuadanga, Jamalpur and Rajshahi. The institute employs about 80 scientists.

Soil Resources Development Institute

The objectives of SRDI are to make inventory soil and land resources and to investigate soil-related problems for agricultural research and development. The functions of SRDI include reconnaissance soil survey of the country on the basis of aerial photo interpretation and field and laboratory investigation of soils; detailed and semi-detailed soil surveys of development project areas and research farms for various beneficiary agencies; soil surveys for locating areas of problem soils; soil moisture, characterization of soil tracts of the country; and preparation of various maps and reports based on the surveys. The institute employs about 150 scientists and technologists.

Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute

BFRI conducts research to enhance the growth of fisheries production through optimal utilization of inland, brackish and marine water bodies and to develop scientific policies relating to development of technology and management of fish culture and fish capture. The Institute has five research stations namely, the Freshwater Station at Mymensingh, Riverine Station at Chandpur, Brackish water Station at Paikgacha, Khulna, Marine Fisheries Technology Station at Cox's Bazar and Shrimp Research Station at Bagerhat and also there are four sub-stations: Freshwater Sub-stations, Faridpur and Jessore; Riverine Sub-stations, Rangamati and Patuakhali, Floodplain Sub-stations, Bogra and Khepupara. The institute employs about 70 scientists.

Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute

BLRI is entrusted to generate and adopt technologies to solve livestock problems at the national and farm levels and also to train-up scientists in the appropriate field of research. The mandate is to take care of the livestock problems of small holders through multi and inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional research. The institute conducts research to solve basic problems affecting livestock and poultry production, both at national and farm level, develop techniques and knowledge pertinent to livestock and poultry production and strengthen research-extension-NGO linkage and expedite quick dissemination of the locally developed and introduced techniques to the end users. The institute has two sub-stations, one at Naikhangchari, Bandarban and other at Baghabari, Sirajganj. The institute employs about 50 scientists.

Bangladesh Forest Research Institute

BFRI conducts research to develop management practices to increase productivity of national forests and village groves and to convert wastelands and marginal lands to forestry and agroforestry uses; develop technologies for rational utilization of forest products; generate technologies to conserve or restore environment balances through increases stocking densities of both rural and urban forests; transfer technology through extension services and other agencies to end users.

BFRI has 22 research stations and sub-stations under five field divisions covering different forest types that spread over eight dendro-ecological regions. All divisions of the Institute except the divisional offices of Plantation Trial Unit and Mangrove Stations are located at headquarters. The two exceptions are at Barisal and Khulna. The institute employs about 110 scientists.

Bangladesh Tea Research Institute

BTRI conducts research to increase yields and quality of tea by developing improved production technologies and high yielding tea clones. The Institute has nine divisions in its headquarter and three sub-stations (Kaliti, Moulvibazar, Sylhet town and Fatikchheri, Chittagong).

Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute

BSRTI conducts research to develop disease, drought and water logging resistant high yielding and nutritionally rich mulberry varieties for rearing of silkworms. Develop appropriate technology for quality silkworm egg and silk production through low cost innovative technologies for overall improvement of socio-economic conditions of rural poor and women. Imparting training to the extension staff to systematize silk production processes. The Institute has a Regional Sericulture Research Centre at Chandraghona, Rangamati and a Germplasm Maintenance Centre at Sakoa, Panchagarh. The institute employs 14 scientists.

Location Map of  National Agricultural Research System

Addresses of NARS Institutes