Photo : DBCCI

DHAKA, Nov 22, 2025 (BSS) - 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 today at the 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, said a press release.

The seminar featured distinguished speakers who shared insights on sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and innovations in the agri-value chain including 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; Sanjib Kumar Saha, Development Consultant & Policy Analyst, Climate & Disaster Risk Management and Food Security.

Md. Shakawat Hossain Mamun, President of DBCCI, delivered the welcome remarks emphasizing the importance of Dutch–Bangladesh cooperation in advancing agricultural sustainability and innovation.

A presentation on “Transforming Bangladesh’s Agriculture through Innovation and Partnership” was made by Dr. Md. Golam Mahboob (BARC) while two other presentations on “Agriculture for All Farmers” was made by Sanjib Kumar Saha and another one on “Climate-Smart Agriculture: The Netherlands’ Experience and Lessons for Bangladesh” was made 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 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 Saif Uddowlah, Chair of DBCCI Agro Committee.