30M Heavy Minerals and Seaweed Farming Success in Bay of Bengal

Bangladesh has achieved significant progress in marine research, the blue economy, and scientific services, with the discovery of economically valuable heavy minerals worth an estimated US$30 million in the Bay of Bengal. The government has also reported major advances in seaweed research and cultivation, alongside new research and service agreements signed by the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR).

The developments were highlighted by Prime Minister's Information Adviser Dr. Jahed Ur Rahman during the weekly press briefing on government activities and current affairs held at the Press Information Department (PID) conference room at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

Chief Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed and Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Dr. Md. Alam Mostafa were also present at the briefing.

According to the ministry's weekly report, the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, has identified 147 species of marine seaweed along the Saint Martin's coast. Researchers have successfully developed techniques to extract agar, carrageenan, and alginate from 12 analyzed samples.

Using tissue culture technology, BORI has also produced seaweed seedlings and successfully launched pilot cultivation projects in the Maheshkhali Channel, Rejukhal River, and coastal research areas.

The government believes these innovations could support domestic production of food, pharmaceuticals, and industrial raw materials while creating new export opportunities under the country's blue economy strategy.

The report further stated that surveys covering nearly 10,000 square kilometres from Saint Martin's Island to Bangladesh's central coast identified commercially valuable heavy minerals, including magnetite, ilmenite, rutile, zircon, and garnet. Their estimated gross economic value is approximately US$30 million.

BORI also reported that blue carbon ecosystems in the western central coast store around 160 megagrams of carbon per acre, compared with about 124 megagrams per acre in the eastern region. The estimated economic value of carbon sinks in the Maheshkhali Channel and Naf River ranges between US$1,000 and US$1,096 per hectare, highlighting their importance in climate change mitigation.

Meanwhile, BCSIR signed three service agreements on July 16 with the Islamic Foundation Bangladesh, SKGen, and Bangladesh Clinical Trials Limited to expand scientific research and laboratory services.

The government expects the agreements to enhance industrial development, product quality assurance, and research-based innovation by providing partner organizations with access to BCSIR's advanced laboratories and scientific facilities.
//DBTech/UKFI/SME//