Mohammad Riaz, BAU:Professor Dr Md Ashrafuzzaman of the Department of Crop Botany at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has received the Dwijen Sharma Environment Award 2025 under the Nisarga Award category in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the collection, conservation and propagation of Bangladesh's rare and endangered plant species, as well as his lifelong commitment to nature conservation.
The award was presented to him on Friday (10 July) at a ceremony held at the Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad Auditorium of Bangla Academy. The event was jointly organised by BRAC Bank and the environmental voluntary organisation Tarupallab.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo attended the programme as the chief guest, while Nazma Mobarek, Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division under the Ministry of Finance, was present as the special guest.
Through Professor Ashrafuzzaman's initiative nearly 1,800 species of rare and endangered plants collected from forests across Bangladesh are now being conserved at the BAU Botanical Garden. By producing and distributing saplings of these plants, he has played a significant role in protecting many species from extinction.
He has also established an open repository of around 500 species of medicinal plants, which is contributing to the conservation, research and education of Bangladesh's traditional herbal resources. In addition, he has conserved 70 species of aquatic plants, helping restore wetland ecosystems and improve water quality.
Professor Ashrafuzzaman has published more than 120 research papers in national and international journals on plant conservation, medicinal plants and agricultural heritage.
Expressing his reaction after receiving the award, Professor Ashrafuzzaman said this award has made me more responsible. In search of valuable medicinal plants, I have travelled to places ranging from Dinajpur to Tanguar Haor. I will continue working with students to raise awareness among future generations about the importance of conserving plant diversity.