Dhaka, March 21 -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to strengthen collaboration with Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) for increasing rice production in the country.

She made the call when IRRI Director General Dr Matthew Morell met her at the Prime Minister's Office.

PM's Speech Writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting.

The Prime Minister stressed the need for strengthening research works to invent saline-, cold- and draught-tolerant varieties of rice on a large scale, and improve deep water rice varieties.

She emphasised increasing the production capacity of rice in the country continuously as the arable land is declining.

"Our farmers are very...