Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) and one of its leading woman scientists have been awarded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

BINA was awarded for its outstanding contribution in mutation breeding in the category of Outstanding Achievement Award, a press release of the Agriculture Ministry said.

The other honor went to Dr. Shamsunnahar Begum, BINA’s chief scientific officer of the Department of Plant Breeding, who received the "Women in Plant Mutation Breeding" award.

The award was in recognition of her outstanding contribution in plant mutation breeding and related biotechnology, the release said.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi gave the awards to Muhammad Abdul Muhith, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Austria at its head office in Vienna on September 20.

IAEA gives awards in three categories to its member countries for their outstanding contribution to mutation breeding. The awards are given after six or seven years.

The three categories are Outstanding Achievements, Women Scientists in Mutation Breeding and Young Scientists Awards.

This year, among the 173 state members of the IAEA, 11 persons/institutions have received awards in the first category.

Ten women scientists got the IAEA awards in the second category while seven young scientists received the awards in the third category.

Earlier in 2014, BINA Director-General Dr. Mirza Mofazzal Islam received the award from the IAEA for his contribution to mutation breeding.

BINA DG Mirza Mofazzal said the scientists have developed 117 kinds of high-yielding varieties of 18 different crops so far. They have received different national and international awards at different times for their contributions, according to The Daily Star.

(SAM)