Dr. Lutfur Rahman

Trustee

Bangladesh Krishi Gobeshona Endowment Trust (BKGET)

Dr. Lutfur Rahman, PhD was the third son of Late Habibur Rahman and Late Halima Begum of Bhanga Upozial of Faridpur District. His date of birth is 20 February 1944.

1. Key Areas of Expertise: Plant Genetics and Breeding including Molecular Plant Breeding

2. Professional Experience and Significant Contributions:

Dr. Lutfur Rahman received Bachelor of Agriculture from EPAI, University of Dhaka in 1964, Master of Science in Agriculture from East Pakistan Agricultural University in 1966 and PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding from University of Agriculture, Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1972.

Dr. Lutfur Rahman retired as Professor of Genetics and Plant Breeding, BAU in 2009. He has extensive contribution in agricultural education and research. He joined the University as Lecturer of Agronomy in 1967 after serving as Agricultural Officer in the EPWAPDA. In Prague, he was the General Secretary of the Bangladesh Student’s Association from 27th March 1971 till he left Prague in July 1972 for Bangladesh. He was also an invited participants of Prof. Abul Fazal’s team to Prague for recognition of Bangladesh in 1972. Before leaving Prague he was able to secure 10 full-cost PhD scholarships support for mostly teachers of BAU. In 1972 he joined as Assistant Professor of Crop Botany and then to the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding in 1974 on its creation as a new Department on his initiatives and the then Vice-Chancellors’ active support. Dr. Rahman was Head, Dept. Genetics and Plant Breeding and helped development of the department and its field labs including agronomy field lab and the main Faculty building. He was involved in the establishment of BAURES and GTI as members of the respective committees. As Dean, Faculty of Agriculture (2000-2002), he initiated the development of the Departments of Biotechnology, Environmental Science and Language Laboratory. The introduction of the semester system at BAU for seven Bachelor’s degree programs was his most important contribution to academic transformation as Convener, Council of Deans. During his period of Deanship, he recommended the BAU affiliated college of Sher-e-Bangla to become the “Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University”, and the Rajshahi University to absorb the private college at Rajshahi as its Faculty of Agriculture. Haji Danesh and Patuakhali Universities of Science and Technology were also established during his tenure as Dean converting the respective affiliated colleges of the faculty of Agriculture, BAU. He was founder Director of the BAU Central Laboratory (2002-2004). In addition to academic research, Dr. Rahman led and conducted extensive field research on various crops and programs. He developed rapeseed variety Sampad in 1982 and Shambal of B. juncea and developed a large number of breeding lines for future research.

He coordinated the Bangladesh Coordinated Soybean Research Project on soybean of BARC/UNICEF covering 11 departments of 7 Institutes of 4 Ministries through which the project has released the soybean variety Shohag, which is still the best at farmer’s field and industrial markets. Subsequently, the USDA supported project of collaboration with two other departments of BAU have generated technology for use of soybean as human food and fish feed. The high protein soybean biscuits and milk have long been used in relief at hazards and by WFP for school children’s Tiffin programs on his initaives. Soybean has now become a nutrient rich cash crop for use in feed, food, soil nutrient and an important industrial crop. He also worked on agro-forestry programs with establishing 120 plant nurseries in Mymensingh belt for participatory maintenance. Prof. Rahman in collaboration with scientists of IPHN, RDA, BCSIR, NGOs, farmers and extension agents, led the World Bank supported project on home gardening to reduce micro-nutrient deficiency in 105 villages of 27 upazilas of 15 districts. He also led four teams of young scientists and professors in pioneering the morpho-molecular characterization of 556 plant varieties of 21 crop species and got those published in four volumes of the “Plant Varieties of Bangladesh” by the Seed Wing, Ministry of Agriculture by June 2010.

Dr. Rahman was the founder President of the BAU Old Boys Association and Editor of the BJAS and BASA journals (1974-2009) and edited several other proceedings and abstracts on agricultural sciences. He was the founder General Secretary of the Plant Breeding and Genetics Society of Bangladesh, and Chief Editor of its Journal; Founder Fellow of Bangladesh Academy of Agriculture; Founder Member of Bangladesh National Nutrition Association; Govt. nominated Vice-President of the NCPGR; Member. Technical Committee of the NSB, Chairman of the Committee on Plant Variety and Farmers Right Protection Act; and Member of the Committee for the NPGRI and the Seed Act of Bangladesh of the Ministry of Agriculture. He was also Syndicate member of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University.  Dr. Rahman has authored 40+ policy papers on agricultural education, research, and technologies and more than 130 peer reviewed scientific articles in journals at home and abroad. His books “Sustainable Agriculture for Nutritional Food Security” was published in 2012, and “Selected Studies on Plant Breeding 1970-2018” published in 2020. He has compiled two volumes of abstracts of articles published in the BJAS since 1974 to 2007 and the on-line version of Bangladesh Agricultural Sciences Abstracts (BASA). Professor Rahman has supervised 63+ MS and 14 PhD student’s research.  Professor Lutfur Rahman and his wife (Lutfun Hussain, PhD) have established the Resource Development Foundation (RDF) and is active since 2008 in extending annual financial grants to students and “Resource Development Award” for best philosopher/teacher/researcher of Bangladesh. They have established Halima-Habib Academy and Institute of Technology at Bhanga, Faridpur. They have two daughters Sabrina Luthfa, PhD, Assistant Professor West University, Sweden and Samina Luthfa, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Dr. Rahman has received BAAG Gold Medal in 2008 for his contribution in morpho-molecular characterization of 556 plant varieties of 21 crop species of Bangladesh as the first case funded by the Seed Wing, Ministry of Agriculture and published through 4 volumes of Books by the SW, MoA. The entire research of four years was a team work.