P.C. Bhowmik-Teaching

February 26 – International meeting FAO, USAID, Bangladesh Government

I was invited to participate in a Workshop on “An assessment of Research Needs for Food Security and Guidelines for Awarding Research Grant” in Gulshan, Dhaka. I was accompanied by four colleagues from our department. It is amazing that I met Dr. Mohan Rao, Associate Professor, Department of Economic, UMass-Amherst, whom I never met earlier for the last 15 years in Amherst. He is the Advisor to FAO for this project. Dr. Rao had a comprehensive presentation on “A digest of research needs for food security in Bangladesh”. I was impressed with his ability to handle the audience in a professional manner.

February 27 – Travel to Mymensingh, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU)

I was invited to speak at the Department of Agronomy. My topic was “Current Status and

Prospects of Allelopathy in Agriculture”. I started my day from Dhaka with four of my colleagues from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU). We were in a micro van (like our minivan) and it took two hours to arrive at the BAU campus. On the way, we saw rice (Boro) fields after rice fields, cocoanut trees, fishing villages. Also, I saw numerous “landscape of salt fields” which I had never seen such fields in my life. Farmers in certain areas, cultivate salt in huge land on the bank of the rivers. There is a growing numbers in farmers who cultivate salt with the expansion of its market for their livelihood.

It is a Muslim holiday for our campus. I did not realize until I went to the campus. The gate was locked, and I had no chance to go to my office. It was a disappointing day.

It is a National Holiday. The Bangladeshi’s are very proud to celebrate this holiday. It was well celebrated in Dhaka as well as throughout the country.

I was invited to participate in festivities at our own campus, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. There was a cricket mach between the students. Our Vice-Chancellor was there for the prize distribution ceremony. It was a real fun event. This celebration ended with very delicious meals for everyone to share. However, there were no fireworks to watch as we have on July 4.

All dormitories (residence hall) were decorated with thousands of mini lights just like our Xmas holiday. Also, the Chief Advisor’s Residence in Dhaka was decorated with millions of lights on the Independence Day. It was a beautiful evening.