Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku said expanded research is essential to producing safer food in Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Saturday as chief guest at the opening of the 32nd annual scientific conference of the Bangladesh Society for Veterinary Education and Research at Bangladesh Agricultural University’s Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Auditorium.

Tuku said people now place strong importance on food safety and that animals consumed as food must be disease-free, healthy and suitable for human consumption. He said the livestock sector must be further developed to meet protein demand, while research, disease prevention for animals and birds, and expanded modern treatment services are needed. Livestock, fisheries and agriculture play important roles in the country’s economy and food security, he added.

The minister said veterinary hospitals are mainly Dhaka-centered and that authorities are considering at least one specialized veterinary hospital in every division. The three-day conference has about 650 researchers, teachers, students and veterinarians from Bangladesh and abroad. Its two main days will feature 318 research papers, including 116 oral presentations and 202 poster presentations.