Department of Botany, University of Rajshahi

About

Name of organisation

University of Rajshahi

Funding support

Main funding source UGC, Bangladesh, MIST, CEGIS

Number of staff

44

Number of visitors per year

2024: 900
2025: 1000
2026: 974

Overall aims of the centre

The Department of Botany, University of Rajshahi, is committed to advancing knowledge in plant sciences, biodiversity, ecology, phycology, limnology, and conservation biology through research, education, and community-oriented activities. Its mission is to document and conserve Bangladesh’s biological resources while promoting sustainable management and strengthening scientific capacity for biodiversity conservation.
The Department is actively engaged in research on the biodiversity of the Padma River and associated aquatic ecosystems, including ponds, lakes, and other small water bodies within the University of Rajshahi campus. It also maintains long-term biodiversity records from Chalan Beel, one of Bangladesh’s largest wetlands. These activities are particularly important as anthropogenic pressures are increasingly threatening aquatic biodiversity. For example, Aldrovanda vesiculosa, last reported from Chalan Beel in Bangladesh, is now considered extinct nationally, while Aeschynomene indica has recently become threatened in the Rajshahi region. The Department is undertaking conservation efforts to restore the latter within suitable habitats on the University campus.
In 1990, the Department established the MZAMAN Aquatic Herbarium (MZAH) to conserve aquatic plant and algal specimens collected from Bangladesh. The herbarium honors Professor M. Zaman for his lifelong contributions to phycology, limnology, and aquatic biodiversity research. The Phycology and Limnology Laboratory has also established an aquatic plant diversity conservation unit, which currently maintains approximately 120 hydrophyte specimens in living conditions across outdoor and indoor habitats.
The Department further maintains a botanical garden containing trees, herbs, shrubs, and lianas, while supporting the conservation and documentation of associated fauna, including birds, butterflies, insects, snakes, and other animals. The conservation unit also maintains inventory records of introduced aquatic species, particularly ornamental and aquarium plants, and undertakes efforts to collect and conserve these species in living conditions.
Through these research, conservation, and outreach activities, the Department contributes to biodiversity documentation, ex-situ and in-situ conservation, sustainable aquatic-resource management, environmental awareness, and the protection of Bangladesh’s threatened aquatic flora and fauna.

Description of the centre

Region: Asia
Country/territory: Bangladesh
Type of wetland: Peri-urban
Area sqm: 40062
Habitats and species:

Actively engaged in the biodiversity of the Padma River, including flora and fauna. Ponds, lakes, and other smaller water bodies within the University of Rajshahi. Long-term data is maintained on Chalan Beel, one of the largest wetlands of Bangladesh. Due to anthropogenic disturbance many aquatic species are under pressure of extinction. Aldrovanda vesiculosa has already gone extinct. It was last reported from Chalan Beel from Bangladesh. Recently , another plant Aeschynomene indica has become threatened in Rajshahi. Efforts are undertaken to restore this plant in the habitats within the University of Rajshahi. An aquatic plant herbarium was established in 1990 in the department to conserve the herbarium of aquatic specimens collected from Bangladesh. It is named MZAMAN Aquatic Herbarium (MZAH) to honor the contribution of Professor M Zaman for his lifelong contribution in the field of phycology, limnology, and aquatic biodiversity. The Phycology and Limnology Laboratory initiated an aquatic plant diversity conservation unit that conserves 120 hydrophytes in live condition in outdoor and indoor habitats within the department. At present, 120 different aquatic specimens are conserved. This department also maintains a botanical garden with trees, herbs, shrubs, and lianas; it also conserves a good number of birds, butterflies, insects, snakes, and other animals. The conservation unit also regularly keeps inventory records of introduced aquatic species in the country for ornamental use and as aquarium plants. It also works to collect these introduced species and conserve them alive.

Featured programmes: Observation of Wetland Day