National Biotechnology Fair 2019, one of the greatest national gatherings of biotech enthusiasts was celebrated with utmost grandeur on the 18th and 19th of October 2019 at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo-theatre, Dhaka. It was organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Institute of Biotechnology (NIB). 56 institutions including renowned public and private universities, research institutions, biotech-related societies & organizations and biotech-based companies came to be part of the fair.
The fair kicked off on the 18th with a grand rally followed by an inaugural ceremony. Meanwhile, all the 67 stalls got stuffed with decorations, posters and biotech-based products & research materials. The students of the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka equipped their stall in a very attractive way. They presented research posters; displayed their annual magazine, Biogen, interactive paper models of DNA and viral structures, arranged quiz for secondary and higher secondary students, kept DNA-sequence-based puzzles for the enthusiasts. Besides, some scientific books authored by departmental faculty members were also portrayed. The most exciting part was the display of two live experiments. Students and scientific-minded people of all ages enjoyed watching the live DNA extraction from banana and paper chromatography.
Besides the stalls, there were interesting programs carried on throughout the two days including 3 minutes thesis presentations, poster presentations and scientific talks. Finally, ‘best’ prizes were awarded in each category. The department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, won the prize of ‘Best Stall’ combinedly with two other departments. Lecturers of the department, Md. Mahmudul Hasan Akash and Md. Wahid Murad received the award on behalf of the department.