Dr Rafiqul Haider, Chief Research Officer (Forest Resources Wing) of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) has been appointed as Director of the Institute. He replaced the outgoing director Dr. Md Masudur Rahman.
This information has been confirmed by BFRI's Publicity Officer Yaqub Ali on Tuesday.
Dr. RafiqulHaider holds B.Sc (Hons) and MSc in Botany from Chattogram University. He later obtained his PhD in Plant Ecology from Jahangirnagar University. He joined the Institute in 1993 as a Senior Research Officer.
He started research on coastal afforestation techniques but later he did research in Sylvie Culture Research Department, Seed Horticulture Department, Training and Technology Transfer Unit and Minor Forest Product Division.
He researched the propagation, management and preservation of non-timber forest products, including medicinal plants Dr Haider won the ‘Honorable Prime Minister’s National Award for Tree Planting 2017’ in the research, innovation and conservation category for preserving germplasm of 221 species of medicinal plants.
He edited a book titled 'Extended Information and Technology of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute' published in 2020. The national award-winning scientist has published more than 30 research articles in local and international journals.
In addition to his research, he served as an external examiner at the Institute of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Chattogram University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Forestry Discipline, Sylhet, and as a guest speaker at the Institute of Forest Science and Technology.
