Environment Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin yesterday said the country is determined to implement action plans on biosafety according to the provisions of the Cartagena Protocol.

"Bangladesh has signed the Protocol on biosafety and thus, is committed to implement the provisions... Action plans have been adopted for its proper implementation," he said.

The minister was addressing an event titled "International Workshop on Biosafety" as chief guest at Brae Centre. The workshop was organised by the Department of Environment (DoE), said a ministry press release.

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs), resulting from modern biotechnology, from one country to another. It was adopted on January 29, 2000 as a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity and entered into force on September 11, 2003.

At the workshop, the minister mentioned that 170 countries including Bangladesh have signed the Cartagena Protocol on biosafety.

He said the country has enacted "Biosafety Rules of Bangladesh, 2012”, "Biosafety Guideline of Bangladesh, 2008", "Biosafety Clearing House", "Guidelines for safety assessments of foods derived from genetically engineered plants", the press release added.

DoE Director General Dr Sultan Ahmed presided over the workshop where Environment Ministry Secretary Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury was present as special guest.

Biosafety specialists from Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Maldives, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines participated in the workshop.