By AKM Rashed Shahriar
 
DHAKA, June 24, 2026 (BSS) - The Agricultural Information Service (AIS), one of the key departments under the Ministry of Agriculture, is working tirelessly to ensure sustainable development of the country’s agriculture sector, expand modern technologies and deliver information services to farmers’ doorstep.

Through the integrated use of print, electronic, ICT, and multimedia platforms, the department has created a silent wave of awareness among farmers at the field level.

Established in 1961 as the Agricultural Information Agency and later transformed into the Agricultural Information Service in 1988, AIS has evolved over time.

Currently, the organisation has become a trusted source of information for millions of farmers through multiple services, including the traditional monthly magazine “Krishikotha,” the modern Agriculture Call Centre (16123), “Krishi Information Bulletin,” as well as digital web portals and social media platforms.

According to available information, AIS achieved remarkable progress within a few months from August 2024 to March 2025.
 
During this period, 887,000 copies of the country’s most traditional agricultural magazine “Krishikotha” were distributed.
 
The publication, priced at Tk 10, currently has around 96,000 subscribers, while its online readership exceeds 1.5 million.
A total of 69,555 calls were received and addressed through the free agriculture call centre during this period, providing instant expert advice. On average, around 200 calls are received daily.
 
For field-level officials and farmers, 103,000 agricultural diaries and 24,000 copies of the “Krishi Information Bulletin” were distributed free of cost.
 
In addition, 205,000 leaflets, folders, festoons and stickers were distributed in the field to raise farmers’ awareness during the period.
 
To promote modern agricultural technologies, 750 film screenings and cinema shows were organised, while 42 agriculture-based podcasts and reels were produced and broadcast to address farmers’ immediate concerns.
 
AIS is also regularly disseminating modern agricultural technologies, success stories of farmers and innovations of the Ministry of Agriculture through its official website (ais.gov.bd) and digital video portal “AIS Tube” (www.aistube.com).
 
The organisation also coordinates the long-running programme “Banglar Krishi,” broadcast daily on 18 stations of Bangladesh Betar and regularly on Bangladesh Television (BTV).
 
As recognition of its work, AIS has received numerous prestigious national and international awards, including the National Digital Innovation Award (2010 and 2011), e-Digital Innovation Fair Award (2011–12), The Manthan Award South Asia (2012), mBillionth Award (2018) and Digital World Award (2020), among others.
 
Experts in the agriculture sector believe that there is no alternative to smart agriculture to ensure sustainable food security.
 
To achieve this goal, they said, AIS needs further modernisation, establishment of its own office infrastructure and increased budget allocation.
 
When contacted, AIS Director Md. Moshiur Rahman told BSS that despite limitations and some structural challenges, the organisation’s officials and employees are working with full dedication to ensure uninterrupted information services for farmers at the field level.
 
He said that through incumbent government’s goodwill and the integration of modern technology, services such as “Krishikotha” and the Agriculture Call Centre have been brought to the doorstep of marginal farmers.
 
“In this era of technology, we are focusing on digital and smart platforms so that a farmer from any part of the country can instantly get solutions to their problems,” he said.

He expressed hope that with the filling of existing vacancies and further enhancement of technological capacity, AIS would be able to make greater contributions to food security and the transformation toward smart agriculture.
 
Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Md. Abdur Rahim, also told BSS that AIS is one of the strongest pillars of agricultural extension activities in the country.

He said that innovations and technologies developed by field-level agricultural officers are quickly disseminated by AIS in an easy-to-understand manner to millions of farmers through media and digital platforms.

He added that services such as the Agriculture Call Centre, agricultural diaries and publications have significantly accelerated field-level work.

The Director General further said that coordinated efforts at the field level have enabled Bangladesh to maintain self-sufficiency in food production.

He added that to face emerging challenges, including climate change impacts and future smart agriculture transformation, AIS’s promotional and ICT capabilities will be further strengthened, taking the agriculture sector to a new height.