Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam is the Country Breeding Lead for IRRI Bangladesh and a Senior Scientist (Rice Breeder) under the Rice Breeding Innovations Department at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). He has nearly 30 years of experience in plant breeding, having previously worked at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) before joining IRRI in 2011 as a Postdoctoral Fellow.

At IRRI, he has led several key initiatives, including the Rapid Cycle Genomic Selection (RCGS) project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Feed the Future Bangladesh IRRI Rice Breeding Public–Private Partnership Platform Activity supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and collaborative programs with National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). These programs focus on strengthening national breeding capacity and introducing advanced breeding tools.

Rafiq’s expertise spans speed breeding, molecular breeding technologies, and statistical analysis using multiple software platforms. He also works on participatory variety selection (PVS), which involves farmers in evaluating new rice varieties, and conducts screening for salinity tolerance at both seedling and reproductive stages. He integrates conventional and modern breeding approaches to evaluate rice performance across diverse environments, including irrigated and rainfed systems, coastal salinity zones, tidal submergence areas, drought-prone regions, Haor ecosystems, arsenic-affected soils, and cold-stressed environments. His work has contributed to the development of multiple rice varieties adapted to these challenging conditions.