Science and Technology Bangladesh has been known since ancient times as a breeding ground for a rich culture. Science and fine arts also developed in this region of the Indian subcontinent, which is rich in seasonal climate and fertile deltaic sedimentary lands. The geographical advantage of this region was also that the position of Bangladesh was far away from the conventional route of foreign invasion in the north-eastern part of India.
At the time of independence from British rule, there were only two general universities in Pakistan - the Punjab University established in 182 in West Pakistan and the Dhaka University established in 1921 in East Pakistan. After its establishment, attempts were made to build Dhaka University in the style of Oxford University in England. For logical reasons, it was sometimes referred to as the Oxford of the East, as the University of Dhaka gave birth to many eminent personalities in science, art and literature. This university was one of the centers of Muslim renaissance and literary and cultural practice in the Bengali part of the Indian subcontinent at that time. During the Pakistan period, scientific activities and practices in the educational institutions of East Pakistan were relatively slow. The Pakistani government allocates only 0.1 percent of its gross national product to science and technology, of which East Pakistan receives less than one-tenth. Significant advances in science and technology have been made to achieve economic self-sufficiency in the region due to the lack of adequate allocations and the misguided science policy of the Pakistani government to spend national resources on nuclear weapons.
After the independence of science and technology organization, the economy and other infrastructure of Bangladesh was in ruins. At that time the resources of a significant number of research and development institutes in the country were buildings and manpower and a limited number of scientific instruments, most of which were obsolete. A lot of financial investment is required to activate all these scientific instruments. Mainly after independence, new science research and development institutes and several technical universities equipped with modern laboratories were established in Bangladesh. A number of research institutes were established for field level research, especially in the field of agriculture and biomedical medicine.
Overall, the institutions conducting science and technology activities in Bangladesh can be divided into two categories- first, the institutions which are run directly by government grants, which have been established mainly for conducting research and development activities; Second, institutions run by the science and agricultural universities and the science departments of general universities. National research and development institutes directly conduct both scientific and field-level scientific research activities on national socio-economic development. Universities, on the other hand, provide science and technology as well as theoretical and practical research activities with the aim of creating skilled manpower in various scientific professions.
The continuation of the country's institutional scientific research activities began with the establishment of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research by the British in India in 1942, which was established under the Societies Registration Act-21 of 1890. This law was a milestone that still governs the scientific community and research institutes in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) was established in 1953 under this Act. During this time many other scientific advances were made in the then East Pakistan. PCSIR first set up its Eastern Laboratory in Dhaka in 1955. Later two more laboratories were set up in Chittagong in 1985 and in Rajshahi in 1986. At that time, six organizations were working to formulate and implement policies related to research and development activities, which Bangladesh inherited from Pakistan after independence. These organizations are: Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC), Public Works and Housing Council and Irrigation, Drainage and Flood Control Research. Council. At that time about twenty research institutes were functioning under these councils governed by different ministries. During the period after independence from 1971 to 1975, there was little opportunity to set up new scientific institutes to deal with various problems such as rebuilding the war-torn economy, rebuilding crumbling infrastructure and so on. Nevertheless, about half a dozen research institutes started operations during the last period of the Pakistani regime. Following this trend, from 1976 to 1980, about ten more institutions were established. More and more research and development institutes were started in the 1990s and by 1999 the total number of research and development institutes stood at 64.
According to the 2000 census, there are eight government general universities in the country. These are: Dhaka University, Rajshahi University, Chittagong University, Jahangirnagar University, Islamic University, Khulna University, Open University and National University. There are also five technical universities in the country - Bangladesh University of Engineering, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. These universities have 104 departments covering four major branches of science - natural sciences, engineering and technical sciences, agricultural sciences and medical sciences. The country's 64 research and development institutes and 11 universities are being run under 14 different ministries. In 1992, the government passed a new law approving the establishment of a private university. Under the Act, 18 private universities have been operating since 1999 and 22 more are awaiting approval. Private universities are mostly involved in business administration, computer education (mainly software-centric) and in some cases environmental studies. Private universities are largely determined by the current job demand.
The number of scientists with PhD degrees in various research and development institutes and universities in Bangladesh is about one thousand and the same number of scientific officers with M.Sc and M.Phil degrees are working in these institutions.
Expenditure on Science and Technology Bangladesh's expenditure on science and technology is very small and is only 0.22 percent of GDP. Most of the expenditure in this sector is on the management and development expenditure of science and technology institutes such as research and development institutes and science departments of all the universities in the country. On the other hand, expenditure on research and development, including laboratory and field-level scientific research directly related to national socio-economic development, is very low. According to a study by the Bangladesh National Center for Science and Technical Information Collection and Distribution (BANSDOC), only 6 per cent of the total expenditure in the science and technology sector was spent in the 1994-1995 financial year.
Science and Technology Policy A high-powered National Science and Technology Committee (NCST) was formed in 1973 with the President as its head to provide advice on science and technology at the national level. Three years later, the committee formulated a draft national science and technology policy, which was formally approved in 1986. The NCST conducts its activities through an executive committee consisting of a majority of the members of the National Committee. The Minister of Science and Technology is the head of the committee. The committee has about a dozen advisors who advise the committee on national science and technology policy, identification of priority researches, coordination of research activities with development activities, supervision of national science information storage system, etc. NCST provides scholarships to science students and researchers and finances a small number of research projects.
The National Science and Technology Policy is described under five main headings. The development of knowledge about science and the rationale behind giving priority to science and technology at the national level have been highlighted. The next headline is Goals and Strategies, which outlines the general goals of science and technology policy, such as competing in science and technology and achieving self-reliance, contributing to the enrichment of scientific knowledge worldwide, collaborating with different countries in science and technology development, and teaching and training. And guidelines have been given for restructuring the development structure. The third chapter, entitled The Key Elements of Science and Technology Policy, is the most important part of this document. Twelve sub-headings in this chapter of twelve pages give a detailed description of all the considerations required for the implementation of the National Science and Technology Policy and instructions for all the Advisory Councils. These include coordination of research and development programs, selection of research and development activities on the basis of priority in various sectors of the economy, enhancement of institutional capacity, manpower development, etc. The National Committee on Science and Technology also undertakes activities for the development of quality science education in schools, colleges and universities with a view to ensuring professional development opportunities for scientists and technologists, creating widespread public awareness about science, promoting domestic technology and streamlining science-based information systems. A recommendation has been included in the National Science and Technology Policy to increase expenditure on science and technology from 0.3 per cent to 1.0 per cent of GDP, as well as a number of recommendations for resource expenditure, such as scientists to implement government objectives. Participation, imposition of surcharges on all manufacturing (industrial) sectors, foreign sources etc. The National Science and Technology Policy is a clear comprehensive document that covers the development of quality education in science at all levels, from schools to universities. In order to make it effective, it has been recommended to introduce science education from the school level curriculum and for this purpose it has been suggested to ensure quality teachers, physical facilities, equipment, books, journals, educational materials etc. At the same time, it has been recommended to establish more than one open university for the expansion of science education.
After Bangladesh officially entered the free market economy, several changes have been made in the science and technology plan. But with the transition to the country's free market economy, adaptation has not been normal at all and even now it is considered a long way to go. Some aspects of this policy are currently being tested with the aim of making possible refinements in science and technology policy to adapt to the changing world situation.
Science and Technology Achievements Despite the existence of a large number of science and technology institutes, 64 research and development institutes, 104 science departments and technical universities in various general universities, the achievements in science and technology in Bangladesh are negligible except in agriculture alone. Well-known institutes like Bangladesh Council of Science and Industry Research (BCSIR) have many patents of their own, but only a handful of common food items are being marketed nationally, which again have very little market share considering the quantity and capital of the products. In contrast to the extensive field-level surveys in the agricultural and biomedical sectors, research and development institutes in the industrial sector have not been able to provide any significant products or services to the country.
Research and development activities in the agricultural sector are essentially limited to a few crops, of which paddy is the most important, followed by tea, jute, wheat and pulses. In the field of rice research, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has achieved significant success in the past decades by working closely with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. The activities of this organization were conducted as soon as the Green Revolution started and have survived with high levels of success year after year. The 36 varieties of cereals developed by Biri are being used at the farmer level and the most notable new varieties are hybrid rice. Part of the credit for this success goes to the nature of this organization. The rest of the success is to conduct research activities jointly with organizations like Erie. The Bangladesh Jute Research Institute, a leading research institute in the field of jute research and development, has developed some good varieties of jute but has not been as popular as Biri. The success achieved in the field of jute has been met with little response due to the intense competition of natural jute with synthetic fibers, one of the competitors of jute.
Biri has been solely responsible for the increased production of food grains in the country and the current production of food grains is almost self-sufficient. The future program of Bangladesh Paddy Research Institute is to develop the production technology and varieties of the present popular ‘hybrid paddy’ as well as to practice management practices of fertilizers, pesticides etc. and to determine the correct irrigation technology. However, the main effort will be to double food grain production by the middle of the 21st century, during which time it is expected that the population of Bangladesh will double to 250 million. Of these, paddy will be the most important ingredient and gradually wheat will also be given importance. With the existing arable land and its intensive management, it is believed that it will be possible to produce twice as much food grains.
Bangladeshi tea has a good position in the world market and Bangladesh is in the third place after Sri Lanka and India. But despite that, the market competition is increasing. Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI) is an old research institute established in 1958 and its age can be compared with that of BCSIR or Science Laboratory. BTRI is working to increase the production and quality of tea through tea hybridization and tea processing research. Among the recent achievements of this institute is the invention of various varieties of clone tea which are being marketed in both domestic and foreign markets.
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) is responsible for conducting research activities on crops other than paddy, jute and tea. The institute conducts research activities on wheat, pulses, fruits and vegetables. The Institute has an extensive sub-center network across the country. These sub-centers have trained staff for extended activities and facilities for yield testing of various crops. The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute is also an institution with better funding in the agricultural sector. According to a survey conducted by Bansdok, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute is the highest revenue and development allocated institution among the research and development institutes in the agricultural sector. At the same time, the institute is one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. [Zia Uddin Ahmed]
Advertising is a system of informing consumers or users about products and services or new ideas using various media. It's not just about informing, it's about presenting it to potential buyers or users in an interesting way, motivating them to buy, and sometimes even persuading them. And this work is done by the seller i.e. the producer himself, his representative or the organization or person engaged in marketing. The advertiser has to bear the cost for which the advertisement is advertised. The type of advertisement selection, word or picture arrangement for it and its presentation, publication, campaign etc. were done in the past individually or with the help of the vendor's own installation and manpower but now it is a well organized job and there are various specialized advertising agencies.
Although the existence of advertising in Bangladesh is ancient, its spread was limited even a short time ago. Before independence, there was no such thing as advertising industry. The need for advertising was not so evident as the industry did not develop extensively. In 1983, three advertising firms were established in Dhaka under the names BTP, East Asiatic and Interspan. Their main business was advertising the products of a very limited number of companies like Lever Brothers and their peers. In this context, it is said that the development of the advertising industry in Bangladesh, everything that happened in the period after the independence of the country in 1971.
At present, there are 150 registered advertising agencies advertising through Bangladesh Television (BTV) and it is estimated that there are about 500 advertising agencies in the country, both organized and unorganized. However, 80% of the advertising goes through the big advertising agencies and in the order of market dominance, these hand-picked advertising agencies include Adcom, Asiatic, BitPay, Unitrend, Gray, Interspeed, Popular, Madonna and Dimensions. 13% of advertisements are advertised through other advertising agencies and the rest of the ads (16%) are advertised by the producing / marketing organization itself, with the help of their own marketing arm.
Advertising media in Bangladesh can be divided into two categories, demarcated and demarcated. The first category includes advertisements in newspapers, magazines, periodicals, radio and television, and the second category includes advertisements by companies or businesses through their own management or marketing branch on billboards and illuminated promotional words or images, travel and street plays, etc., or vehicles. Arranges publicity by painting on the body or on the balloon. In 1999, the total amount of advertising business in Bangladesh was around Tk. 200 crore. The rate of advertising costs depends on the type of advertising medium and the amount of space or time used. During peak hours (from 6pm to 12pm) the charge for a 30-second advertisement on Bangladesh Television is Rs 9,450. However, if you want to promote only during this period, you have to pay 50% more. In the case of promotions just before or immediately after the news broadcast, the charge increases to 60% and is 100% if the advertisement is shown in the interval between news or film broadcasts. The charge for advertising before 6 pm is about half of the regular charge. An organization can get the opportunity to advertise through the production of a program on television. In that case, to get the right to broadcast a total of 180 seconds of advertisement in a program before 6 pm, one has to pay Rs. 80,000 for the production of a 60-minute episode of the program and Rs. Bangladesh Television offers a 25% discount on advertising charges for books and non-advertising periodicals. However, this discount does not apply to admission or printed test guide books. Publishing companies also do not get this discount. Bangladesh Television charges 60% extra on regular rate for advertisement of manufactured goods outside the country. The advertisement rate of Bangladesh Betar is much less than that of television. In case of broadcasting a 15 second advertisement on the radio from 1 to 51 times, the charge is 600 rupees for each broadcast. Bangladesh Betar sells the rights to broadcast a cricket match for Rs 45,000 and charges Rs 3,000 for a football match. The rate charged by the newspapers in the country for the promotion of advertisements is 400 to 600 rupees per column for the inside pages and about three times more for the first and last pages.
The growth of the advertising industry in Bangladesh to date has a bearing on the economic growth of the country and the increase in the purchasing power of the people. At present almost all types of advertising agencies face a lot of competition. Advertising companies that do business with mandates include domestic private sector companies, multinational companies and various NGOs. However, 80% of the advertising business comes from multinational companies and 25% comes from domestic private companies. The more competitive the products in the market, the more advertising is needed. And most of the advertising budget goes to the promotion of consumer goods. In general, the sectors that have the highest demand for products and services in the local market spend more on advertising. Export-oriented industries have also become accustomed to advertising and their work has started mainly through promotional pamphlets.
The government has imposed an obligation to execute agreements between advertisers and advertising agencies for all types of advertising to control the legal aspects of the advertising business. The general terms of this agreement comply with the laws relating to printing, publishing and mass communication. The Ministry of Information is the main regulator and approval of this ministry is required to change the terms and conditions of advertising in any particular medium. Again, permission of the Ministry of Health is required for the advertisement of medicines or smoking products. In addition, the government has formulated a code of conduct for advertising agencies and the media, which should be generally adhered to even if it does not have the status of law. The policy calls for refraining from advertising alcohol, cigarettes, manufactured food for children, underwear for women and men, and birth control products other than pills. At the same time, it tells the media to uphold social norms and moral values, refrain from direct attacks on religion, individuals or organizations, avoid all things that are out of taste and be careful not to use any historical or political figures in advertising.