Giants in History: Flora Zaibun Majid

Flora Zaibun Majid (6 December 1939 – 30 October 2018)  was an accomplished Bangladeshi researcher in botany and nutrition science and the first female chairperson of the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.She reached these heights despite facing personal challenges that included a life-long disability caused by having contracted polio as a child. Majid’s most notable achievement is leading a project to grow the highly nutritious algae spirulina in Bangladesh. Spirulina usually grows in hot climates and Majid faced the challenge of adapting the algae for cultivation in Bangladesh’s environment. By modifying the medium of production, Majid and her team became the first to cultivate spirulina successfully in the country’s monsoon conditions, paving the way for commercial production of the highly nutritious food in Bangladesh.