Only a few textbooks in Bangla are available in the field of genetics and plant breeding and biotechnology. Dr. Md. Shahidur Rashid Bhuiyan, Professor, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka has come forth with a work titled Genetically Modified Foshol Bartaman O Bhobishshot, which has been published by Bangla Academy.
The book is well written, containing up-to-date information, and it is a very useful point of reference on genetically modified crops. The author has been teaching genetics and plant breeding at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University for the last several years. Holding a PhD in biotechnology, Bhuiyan has successfully completed a number of research projects in his discipline and innovated two mustard varieties, 'SAU Sharisha-1' and 'SAU Sharisha-2'. He is an experienced academician and researcher in the discipline of genetics and plant breeding.
The book is mainly based on the syllabus of genetics and plant breeding taught at various universities, including SAU, which is not only meant for the use of post- and under-graduate students but is a handy reference for researchers and field professionals in genetics and plant breeding, biotechnology, genetic engineering, agricultural extension, et cetera.
The book contains 24 different chapters. The first chapter deals with the introduction on genetically modified crops. In the opening of this chapter, the author has quite clearly described the background of genetically modified crops. As stated in the book, people started cultivating crops some eight to ten thousand years ago. Since then the evolution has continued through a natural selection of crops. But in those days farmers and scientists had no idea about how biological traits transfer from parent to offspring, how their characters are controlled and what factors are actually responsible for carrying the biological characters. The author then narrates the amazing discovery made by Mendel through presenting the world with the natural law of inheritance how gene carries heredity characters from parents to offspring. Gene is the basic unit of heredity in a living organism, be it plant or animal. It is a segment of nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) and all types of living organisms have many genes which transmit different biological traits from parents to offspring, some of which are immediately visible (e.g. color of eye) while some are not (e.g. blood type).
With appropriate tables and figures, the book also discusses in details coding and non-coding sequences of gene, DNA/RNA, protein synthesis, et cetera. The first chapter also covers the techniques for producing GM or transgenic crops through implantation of genes collected from one organism to another that need to be modified for yielding the desired characters. The genetically modified plants can acquire weed, disease, insect, virus, fungus and bacteria-resistant characters which ultimately ensure higher crop production.
The author further explains, in the remaining chapters, how crop producers can be benefited through cultivating genetically modified crops. Although there are some negative criticisms regarding GM crops, still it has been scientifically proved that GM crop is not a bane but a boon to farmers and consumers as well.
The last chapter focuses on Bangladesh's food security and genetically modified crops. Emphasizing introduction and diffusion of GM crops, the author has rightly defined their importance in the context of Bangladesh being an agro-based country where more than 70 per cent people depend on agriculture and agro-based industries for earning their livelihood. Moreover, it is through applying genetic engineering techniques that draught, saline, waterlog tolerant crop varieties can be developed for bringing more areas under cultivation and increasing crop production in Bangladesh.

Prof. M Zahidul Haque teaches in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Information System, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University,Dhaka.