Bioinformatics is a new discipline which combined mainly three independent disciplines (biological, statistical and computer sciences) to solve the complex biological problems. Bioinformatics plays the key role to modernize biotechnology as well as life science researches. The vast amount of data generated by High-Throughput Omics (Genomics, Transcriptomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, Metagenomics, Pharmacomics and so on) Technologies would be unmanageable without bioinformatics tools. Application of bioinformatics drastically reduces the cost of these omics projects. Bioinformatics tools are useful to understand the gene and genome functionality in the biological processes. It plays the important role to quicken the discovery of new varieties in the agricultural sectors and drugs/vaccines in the health sectors. New bioinformatics tools are developed everyday holding new promise in the agriculture and health sectors.

In Bangladesh, many researchers/research-students of different universities/ institutes/ organizations are working in the areas of bioinformatics individually. Also many Bangladeshi students are now undertaking PhD/post-doctoral research on bioinformatics in abroad. When they return back to Bangladesh, they are suffering to find the research collaborators in bioinformatics. To overcome these problems, all bioinformatics researchers need to come to the same platform to keep connection each other as well as to develop collaborating research in their field through a society/association. Therefore, formation of a national bioinformatics forum/association/society including the researchers/students from related disciplines (biological, statistical and computer sciences) is today’s demand for knowledge sharing among countries’ researchers. Thus, Bangladesh Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Association (BBCBA) have been formed under a constitution approved by the general meeting held on 1st August 2016 at University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. The executive committee (EC) of BBCBA consist of 45 members selected from statistical, biological and computer sciences from different Universities/Institutes/organizations of Bangladesh having expertise in bioinformatics. You all, who are interested in bioinformatics, are welcome to join the BBCBA as general member, life member, student member or honorary/advisory member.

The main objectives of this association are to (i) encourage and promote research and education in bioinformatics from related fields, (ii) foster scholarship, fellowship and research collaboration among the scientists related to bioinformatics, (iii) organize conferences, seminars, symposia, workshop, publish newsletter and journals and maintain the homepage (www.bbcba.org), (iv) raise funds, grants, and endowments for upgrading the BBCBA activities, (v) award for outstanding bioinformatics researchers, and (vi) disseminate the advanced outcomes of the bioinformatics research among the scientists for the betterments of the society.

I would like to express my deepest sincere thankfulness and gratitude to the distinguished bioinformatician/bioinformaticists from home and abroad for sparing their valuable suggestions and co-operations during the formation of BBCBA.

I wish the BBCBA a great success!