Post and Telecommunication and ICT Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam on Sunday instructed Parliament that the federal government has continued increasing monetary and institutional support for young scientists, researchers and innovation-driven actions throughout the nation.
Responding to a query of Selina Sultana (Women Seat-35), the minister mentioned in the course of the 2025-26 fiscal 12 months, a complete of 4,282 researchers obtained grants amounting to Tk 25.45 crore underneath the National Science and Technology (NST) Fellowship programme.
The Ministry of Science and Technology has been offering NST fellowships to college students and researchers pursuing MS, MPhil, PhD and postdoctoral research in science and technology-related disciplines at universities, he mentioned.
The minister mentioned the ministry can be encouraging science-based larger schooling and research by means of grants for Research and Development (R&D) initiatives geared toward growing new applied sciences and enhancing the standard of scientific research.
In the present fiscal 12 months, 358 scientists and researchers obtained Tk 3.97 crore in grants underneath the R&D programme, he added.
The ministry has additionally offered Tk 30 lakh in grants to 30 science-based organisations and establishments throughout FY2025-26 to support scientific actions, improvement programmes, journal publications and the organisation of seminars, symposiums, workshops and exhibitions.
Special research grants are being offered to academics, researchers and young scientists from private and non-private universities, in addition to researchers from numerous private and non-private organisations, to advertise scientific research and technological innovation, he mentioned.
He mentioned the federal government has undertaken a spread of initiatives to encourage research and innovation amongst young scientists and facilitate the event and commercialisation of their initiatives.
These embrace monetary and technical support for revolutionary research by means of universities, research establishments and science-based organisations, in addition to the organisation of science festivals, innovation exhibitions, seminars, workshops and coaching programmes.
The minister mentioned the National Institute of Biotechnology, underneath the Ministry of Science and Technology, is offering coaching, research amenities and entry to laboratories for college students, researchers and young scientists.
He added that the institute commonly presents research coaching, internships, thesis support and entry to trendy biotechnology laboratories for undergraduate and postgraduate college students, contributing considerably to the event of expert researchers within the nation.
Highlighting support for research establishments, the minister mentioned the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research permitted 143 initiatives with allocations of Tk 6.62 crore in FY2024-25, whereas 94 initiatives obtained allocations amounting to Tk 6.19 crore in FY2025-26.
He additionally knowledgeable the House that the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission awarded 15 particular research grant initiatives to its scientists throughout FY2025-26 with a complete finances allocation of Tk 80.75 lakh.
Once carried out, these initiatives are anticipated to make vital contributions to agriculture, meals manufacturing, healthcare, nuclear medication, public well being, and science and know-how sectors, he mentioned.