DU Delta Research Centre activities confined in routine work

Dhaka, Feb 25 (BDNEWS) – The activities of the Delta Research Centre (DRC) under the Department of Geology of the Dhaka University (DU) are now confined only in the routine works.

No major objective it has cherished to accomplish has so far been carried out due to many of limitations of the centre.

Prof Aftab Alam Khan now working in the centre told BDNEWS that field-level survey and laboratory analysis are very essential for scientific research. The DRC has limitations in these two fields. The centre lacks modern laboratory and other necessary tools too, he added.

DRC director Prof Badrul Imam admitted the fact and said the researches being carried out at the centre are not up to the mark.

If there is enough fund and space, the standard of the centre could be maintained, he observed.

The DRC provides assistance for research works but the director of the centre gets an honorarium of Tk 800 only.

The centre was established in 1991 in a view to providing training to researchers and learners of Bangladesh, the largest delta of the world, but over the past 15 years it has done nothing substantial.

The mission of the centre was to utilize the skills of the researchers and learners in the national issues like natural resources, irrigation, flood control and river training.

From 1990-91 to 2005-06 financial year, the centre was allocated only Tk 3,552,000. Only three teachers are conducting research in the centre.

Those who are at present working in the centre are Prof Dr Sifatul Kader Chowdhury, Prof Aftab Alam Khan of the Geology Department and assistant Prof of the Department of Biology Prof Ashfaq Ahmed.

Prof Aftab Alam Khan said the researches the teachers are conducting here in the centre are equivalent to the thesis done by a Master's Degree student.

A student of Master's Degree is working as his assistant. He was allocated Tk 15,000 from the centre but no researcher, teacher does get any honorarium for the work he/she does for the research.

Prof Alam said he is working despite having plenty of hurdles only taking into consideration the needs of the students.

Prof Badrul Imam said a number of learners are given a lump-sum stipend of Tk 5,000 from the centre for research.

Apart from this, work to prepare a bibliography with all delta researches published so far is going on, he added.

BDNEWS/1706 hrs