"Bangladesh is still lagging behind many countries in terms of the use of DNA technology," National Technical Adviser to the laboratory Prof Sharif Akhteruzzaman told reporters after delivering a lecture on 'DNA Technology in Criminal Investigation' at the Teacher-Student Centre auditorium in the city.

Although the DNA profiling was introduced in many countries over two decades ago, Bangladesh has introduced it last year, he said.

"We need to make concerted and sincere efforts to close the gap between the developed countries and our country with regard to the use of DNA technology," he observed.

The lecture was the first of a series of Dean's Lecture 2007 organised jointly by the faculty of biological sciences, Dhaka University, and The Daily Star, with an aim to popularise modern biological sciences as 'the science of the 21st century' in mother language.

DU Vice-chancellor Prof SMA Faiz attended the programme as the chief guest while Editor and Publisher of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam was present as special guest. Dean of the faculty of biological sciences Prof M Anwar Hossain delivered the welcome speech.

In his keynote speech, Prof Sharif elaborately focused on DNA technology in criminal investigation and its impacts.

He said DNA or Deoxyribonucleic Acid is the fundamental building block of an individual's entire genetic makeup. It is the hereditary blueprint passed on to children by their parents.

Prof Sharif said the key insight came from the discovery of a technique called DNA fingerprinting, first described by a British scientist Sir Alec Jeffreys in 1985.

A conventional fingerprint, though unique, can be changed by plastic surgery, but a DNA fingerprint, which can simply be called the genetic photograph of an individual, is the same for every cell of an individual and cannot be altered by any known treatment, he said.

By using modern molecular biological techniques, it is now possible to generate a DNA fingerprint of an individual from any trace of biological samples such as blood, hair, semen, saliva, tissue, bone and teeth in the laboratory in 24 hours, Prof Sharif said.

He said forensic DNA profiling usually involves comparing DNA evidence (i.e. DNA extracted from a biological sample left at a crime scene) with the suspect DNA (i.e. DNA extracted from the sample taken from the suspect).

The practical applications of DNA fingerprinting can help find out personal identification, which is particularly useful in resolving criminal cases like murder, rape, theft or burglary, he added.

Besides, DNA fingerprinting can also help resolve paternity and inheritance dispute through identifying parents or heirs of an individual. Identity of disaster victims can also be confirmed through this technology, Prof Sharif said.

Prof SMA Faiz called on the scientists to evolve newer technologies through research and practice of science.

He also said the teachers of Dhaka University are trying to take the country and its people ahead through research and development.

The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam stressed the need to introduce the students to modern sciences in Bangla, saying that practising science in mother language more and more will enhance the people's capacity to understand science easily and help expand the science education.

He called on teachers to carry out more researches on sciences and present them in simple language and interesting style.

He also suggested translating the stories of invention into Bangla.

Mahfuz Anam suggested organising talk show on television on different issues of science at least once a month. He also proposed observing a day as the 'National Science Day' to popularise science.