Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (Bfri)

the bangladesh forest research institute (bfri) was set up as a forest products research laboratory (frl) in 1955 by the government of the then pakistan. in 1965, the laboratory was named as the east pakistan forest research laboratory (epfrl) under the ministry of agriculture to conduct research on the management of the forest department. the major objective of the frl was to conduct research on the utilization of wood and wood products. later, the need for forestry management research was felt by the administrators and planners of the country due to rapid decline in stock density of trees in forest land. consequently, in 1968, the forest management research branch was created with the assistance of fao/undp, and after the independence of bangladesh the frl was reorganized as bfri. in 1985, the bfri was separated from the forest department, and its administrative control went under the ministry of agriculture (moa) and then in 1988 under the ministry of environment and forest (moef).