KIB Organizations

Organization Details:

BFRI AT A GLANCE

Previous name        : East Pakistan Forest Research Laboratory (EPFRL).

Present name          : Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI).

Established             : 1955.

Location                 : HQs at Chittagong City.

Land area               : 1100 ha (including 28 ha at HQs).

Disciplines              : Eleven research divisions under Forest Management Branch, six under Forest Products Branch and two Common Services divisions.

Field Stations         : 21 nos. with a total area of 1072 ha.

Being mandated as the only institute to conduct forest management and forest products utilization research, BFRI is rich enough to cater to the current information needs of the nation with the database it has created and the technologies generated. Although administered by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of the People�s Republic of Bangladesh, BFRI is a component of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) and has strong collaboration with international forestry research organizations and networks.

BFRI maintains the richest forestry library and documentation facilities in the country. Twenty-seven volumes of an internationally abstracted forestry research journal have so far been published from BFRI. The institute has published over 500 research papers, 160 bulletins and 20 folders / leaflets. It has so far imparted training to over 6,000 individuals (foresters/extension workers, NGOs, researchers, farmers/end-users, etc.) in using the technologies generated.

Policy Obligation, Aim and Goal

By policy, BFRI bears the obligation to provide research supports to the FD, BFIDC, end-users and others in performing the forestry activities. BFRI aims at maintaining sustainable productivity of forest land and forest industries without resource depletion. The broad goal is to reduce the demand-supply gap of forest resources.

Major Programmed Areas
Research in the following broad programmed is conducted to achieve national goals in forest productivity, employment generation, environmental conservation and woman’s participation in line with the Forestry Sector Master Plan of the country.

1. Optimise productivity in hill, plain, village and coastal forests through the application of technological input to alleviate the poverty.

2. Provide research backup to forestry and agro-forestry in waste and marginal land for optimum and sustainable utilization.

3. Rational utilization of forest produces through the application of technological input.

4. Help in conservation of biodiversity and environmental balance in national and rural forests.
5. Increase liaison with regional and global organizations and networks.

Priorities
Demand driven research such as promotion of farm forestry and agro-forestry, sustainable management of the Sundarbans and other coastal forest land.

BACKGROUND

The Bangladesh Forest Research Institute was set up as a Forest Products Research Laboratory (FRL) in 1955 by the Government of the then Pakistan. In 1965, this Laboratory was Provincialized and named as the East Pakistan Forest Research Laboratory (EPFRL) under the Ministry of Agriculture to conduct research on the management of the Forest Department. The major objective of the FRL was to conduct research on the utilization of wood and wood products. Later, the need for forestry management research was felt by the administrators and Planners of the country due to rapid decline in stock density in forest land. Consequently, in 1968, the Forest Management Research Branch was created with the assistance of FAO/UNDP, and after the independence of Bangladesh the FRL was reorganized as BFRI. In 1985, the BFRI was separated from the Forest Department, and its administrative control went under the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and then in 1988 under the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF). BFRI has two research Branches, namely, the Forest Products Branch and the Forest Management Branch each of which is headed by a Chief Research Officer. The Forest Products Branch has six research divisions and the Forest Management Branch has eleven research divisions. In addition, there are two other common services divisions directly under the Director. Research on scientific and efficient utilization of forest produces are the responsibilities of the Forest Products Branch. Major contributions of this Branch are designing of a low cost solar-kiln for seasoning timbers, devising of preservative treatment techniques for rural housing materials, generation of technology for good quality pulp from inferior jute, classification of end-uses of the lesser-used and village wood species, etc. Research in the Management Branch is aimed at increasing the productivity of forest land through improved management, conservation of soil and water, protection of trees from pests and diseases, tree improvement, etc. Mentionable achievements of the Forest Management Branch are site-specific tree species selection, propagation of bamboos from branch cuttings, development of nursery techniques for tree culture, etc. BFRI has pioneering contribution on artificial regenertion of mangrove species and raising of man-made mangrove plantations which at present cover about 0.1 million hectare land along the coastal belt of Bangladesh. The Forest Department (FD), Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation (BFIDC), Bangladesh Chemical Industries Development Corporation (BCIC), Bangladesh Tea Board, Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board (CHTDB), NGOs and private entrepreneurs are the major clienteles of BFRI.

PRESENT ORGANOGRAM

MANPOWER

TRAINED MANPOWER

RESEARCH DIVISIONS

FIELD STATIONS

BFRI has 22 Research Stations and Sub-Stations under five Field Divisions covering different forest types spread over eight dendro-ecological regions of the country. While all the others are located at the HQs, the Divisional Offices of Plantation Trial Unit Division and Mangrove silviculture Division are at Barisal and Khulna respectively.

OPERATIONAL FLOW

Identification and Prioritization of Research Problems.
Both top-down and bottom-up approaches are used in problem identification. In the top-down approach, problem areas are reported by administrators, planners, policy makers and donors. In the bottom-up approach, the field foresters, wood based industries, NGOs and private entrepreneurs come up with their problems for solution. In addition to their own areas of research interest, the researchers take both these feedback approaches into consideration and propose research projects. These projects are scrutinized by a Technical Committee of the Institute, and the recommendations are again examined by a Coordination Committee consisting of researchers and clientele representatives headed by the Director, BFRI. Annual Research Programs are the finalized by a Research Advisory Committee headed by the Secretary, MOEF. Integrated and multidisciplinary approaches are given priority in formulating the research projects.

Sources of Fund
Research is funded both from the revenue and development budget. The establishment expenditures are supported from the revenue budget of the Government of Bangladesh (GOB). The development activities including the research operational expenditures are covered from the development budget. The Main contributors are IDA, USAID, FAO/UNDP, IDRC, FORSPA and other international agencies.

Projects Implementation
Fund is released to the researchers based on the approved work plans. An Individual or a team of researchers representing several disciplines remains responsible for implementation of each project. Each member of the team has specific responsibilities in integrated programs.

Monitoring and Evaluation
Each project is periodically monitored both internally and externally during its implementation. Institutional administration is responsible for internal monitoring while the external monitoring is done by a team of experts appointed by the MOEF, BARC, IMED of Ministry of Planning and the donor agencies.

Technology Transfer
Results are disseminated through publication of reports, bulletins, scientific papers, popular articles, working papers and other mass media. Seminars, symposia and workshops are also organized for the field workers of Government departments and private entrepreneurs. There are about 700 research publications in the Institute. The institute publishes an internationally recognized half-yearly journal: Bangladesh Journal of Forest Science. In addition, extension materials on matured technologies are published as leaf-lets, folders and booklets for widespread circulation. BFRI also regularly feeds the Technology Transfer and Monitoring Unit of BARC and contributes at the District, Regional and National Technical Committee of DAE, which enhance the Institute’s technology transfer activities. Specifically, training courses such as propagation of bamboo, nursery techniques, pests and diseases management, preservative treatment of rural housing materials, wood identification, improved productivity of man-made forest, land capability assessment for site specific species selections, wood seasoning, wood technology, etc. are organized periodically. Over 6000 individuals of FD, BFIDC, Institutes of NARS, NGOs and common people have been trained so far in using these technologies. BFRI also offers consultative advice and technical services to different Government and Non-Government Organizations and persons related to forest production, management and utilization.

Linkage and Collaboration
BFRI maintains internationals linkage through the MOFF and BARC with IDRC, INBAR, ISME, FAO/UNDP, WB, IUFRO, SAARC, FORSPA, FORTIP, ADB, CIDA, SIDA, Winrock International, CIFOR, DANIDA, IPGRI, etc. It works in cooperation with FD, BFIDC, BCIC, DAE, BARC, Department of Environment (DE), universities and other institutions involved in land based production systems, wood based industries and environmental conservation. BFRI is specifically collaborating with NARS in the nationally coordinated Farming System research (FSR). Mention-worthy recent international collaborations are with FORTIP as being the national focal institute and involved with the international neem provenance trial. It is participating as the lead institute in the species improvement network (SPIN) for bamboo in the region under UNDP/FAO regional project on improved productivity of Man- Made forests through application of technical advances in tree breeding and propagation. BFRI is involved with INBAR in leading an international working group in bamboo production and genetic research.

Human Resource Development
Professionals is offered training leading to higher degrees at specialist’s level at home and abroad. The sub-professional are trained internally in the institute. Specialized local training are offered by BFRI, BARC or other institutes for the professional and sub-professional staff. Academic and professional training, workshops, and seminars are sponsored by the international donor agencies.

Management Information System
Management Information System (MIS), an integral part for management planning, has been developed at BFRI with the assistance of BARC/ISNAR. It includes a computerized modeling system for estimating allocations  of personnel (technical and supporting) as well as funds to different research programs of the institute. The Human Resource Information System (HRIS), a sub-set of the MIS, also maintains the personal information for the professional staff. The documentation is being updated annually since 1988. The MIS will eventually lead to a larger Resource Information Management System (RIMS) of the institute in particular and NARS in general. This will help the institute to keep pace with the global information systems in near future.

FACILITIES

BFRI has developed facilities for research, education, extension and training. These facilities are open to all individuals and institutions.

Laboratories
Laboratories are modestly equipped for conducting research of the Forest Products and Forest Management Branches. Besides its own research activities, BFRI extends its laboratory facilities to the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, and Institute of Marine Sciences, Chittagong University; Bangladesh Forest Academy; Khulna University; Dhaka University and other local and international institutions for teaching and research purposes.

Library and Documentation
BFRI Library is enriched with over 10,000 books, innumerable bulletins and monographs. It regularly subscribes or otherwise collects 12 local and 79 international journals and periodicals, and exchanges publication with many universities and agencies throughout the world. BFRI Library is also rendering information services to the teachers and students of different colleges, universities and also to the scientists and NGO personnel.

Publication
An internationally abstracted forestry journal entitled, Bangladesh journal of Forest Science is being published form BFRI twice a year since 1967. Twenty seven volumes each having two issues have been published so far. In addition, research results are published and disseminated as research papers in local, regional and international journals, as well as bulletins, working papers, folders and leaflets. The latest statistics list over 500   research papers, 160 bulletins, and 20 folders/leaflets.

Herbarium
The herbarium of BFRI has a collection of 16,000 herbarium sheets and the xylarium has a collection of about 600 local and 1600 foreign wood species. It also houses about 2000 fungal specimens.

Arboretum
The arboretum has sixty indigenous and 20 exotic timber species, 34 bamboo species covering 200 germplasms and seven rattan species. A good number of medicinal herbs, shrub and tree species has also enriched the arboretum.

Insect Museum
An insect museum of BFRI houses a collection of about 6000 insect specimens collected from different forest areas.

Auditorium
BFRI has an auditorium with a seating capacity of 500. It is used for conferences, symposia, seminars, and cultural activities. There is also a small conference room with an accommodation of 100 seats.

Guest House and Dormitory
BFRI maintains a Guest House with a capacity of  that includes one VIP suite and several single and double accommodations. The Guest House is situated on a hill top and presents a scenic lookout of the undulating campus landscape. It has a large living space with beautiful party arrangement and services at a minimum charge. This has been considered by local and foreign visitors as a well maintained accommodation out side the capital. The dormitory has a residential capacity of 20. This serves as a transit residence of BFRI field staff as well as trainees and students from different institutions and universities.

Museum
Exhibits in BFRI museum display various uses of timber and important research aspects.

Health and Medical Care
BFRI has a full-time resident physician for emergency medical care. Besides, a public health center is situated just outside the campus boundary. The Chittagong Medical College Hospital and several modern health care clinics are within the easy access from the campus.

Campus Life
BFRI campus accommodates 200 families. Facilities available for the residents are playgrounds, a mosque, a secondary school, 3 clubs, a shaheed minar, etc. The campus life is vividly colorful owing to frequent sports, social, religious and cultural congregations. The campus is exceptionally green and natural. Simultaneously, the dwellers are well communicated with all the urban facilities through the institute and because of its location in the second largest cosmopolitan city of the country. The city of Chittagong is well connected with the capital and is resourceful with places and events of tourist attraction.

PUBLICATIONS