04 Feb, 2026
The Seminar on Dutch–Bangla Agricultural Cooperation Held in Dhaka on 22 November 2025
The
Dutch-Bangla Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DBCCI), in
collaboration with LIMRA Exhibitions, successfully organized a
high-level seminar titled “Bridging the gap between high-tech,
sustainable Dutch agricultural systems and Bangladesh's scale,
climate-vulnerability and agro-processing bottlenecks”. The event took
place on Saturday, 22 November 2025, at Noboratri (Hall-4),
International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB), Dhaka, bringing
together leading agricultural experts, researchers, policymakers,
agribusiness leaders, and diplomats from both Bangladesh and the
Netherlands.
The
seminar was supported by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council
(BARC) under the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the Embassy of Bangladesh in The Hague, Bangladesh Agricultural
University (BAU), Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), and
agricultural stakeholders from both countries.
With
around 90 participants, including university scholars, development
partners, private-sector representatives, DBCCI Board Members, and media
personnel, the event served as a platform for strategic dialogue on
strengthening agricultural innovation, technology transfer, and
climate-resilient farming cooperation.
Key Speakers
The
seminar featured distinguished speakers who shared insights on
sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and innovations in the
agri-value chain:
Prof. Dr. Md. Ashabul Hoque
Genetics & Plant Breeding Expert, Department of Agricultural Botany, SAU
Dr. Md. Golam Mahboob
Chief Scientific Officer, Natural Resources Management Division, BARC,
Ministry of Agriculture
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shamsul Alam Bhuiyan
Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, BAU
Mr. Sanjib Kumar Saha
Development Consultant & Policy Analyst, Climate & Disaster Risk Management and Food Security
Program Highlights
The
seminar began with registration and welcome tea, followed by opening
remarks from the Master of Ceremony by the Coordinator of DBCCI.
Mr.
Md. Shakawat Hossain Mamun, President of DBCCI, delivered the welcome
remarks emphasizing the importance of Dutch–Bangladesh cooperation in
advancing agricultural sustainability and innovation.
Key presentations included:
“Transforming Bangladesh’s Agriculture through Innovation and Partnership”
by Dr. Md. Golam Mahboob (BARC)
“Agriculture for All Farmers”
by Mr. Sanjib Kumar Saha
“Climate-Smart Agriculture: The Netherlands’ Experience and Lessons for Bangladesh”
by Prof. Dr. Md. Ashabul Hoque (SAU)
A major highlight was the Panel Discussion on
“Joint Pathways for Sustainable Agri-Development: Opportunities and Challenges,”
featuring experts from BAU, SAU, BARC, private-sector representatives from both countries, and development partners.
The session was moderated by Mr. Md. Shakawat Hossain Mamun, President of DBCCI.
Participants
engaged in an interactive open discussion session, sharing ideas on
innovation-led agricultural development, agro-processing bottlenecks,
and climate-smart farming technologies.
The seminar concluded with Closing Remarks by Mr. Saif Uddowlah, Chair of DBCCI Agro Committee
