News Flash
Dhaka, July 22, 2025 (BSS) - A Dhaka University (DU) Professor has been appointed as an expert environmental chemist to the 21-member Independent Scientific Panel on Effects of Nuclear War (ISPESW) of the United Nations.
Prof Dr. Md. Ahsan Habib of the Chemistry department of the university achieved this distinction as the first Bangladeshi, according to a press release issued today.
The New York-based research panel will operate under the guidance of the United Nations to assess and understand the real-world implications of nuclear war and post-nuclear accident scenarios.
As a Bangladeshi environmental chemist on this UN expert panel, Professor Habib will analyze the potential adverse effects of nuclear war and nuclear power plant accidents on the environment and biodiversity, and work to develop remedial measures, read the press release.
Prof Ahsan Habib joined the Chemistry department as an Assistant Professor in 2005. After completing his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Chemistry, he earned his Ph.D. from Saga University in Japan.
He has served as a research fellow at several Japanese universities, including the University of Tokyo and Yokohama University, as well as the Chinese Academy of Sciences in China. Additionally, he is a visiting professor at various universities in China and Japan. Since 2024, he has been an expert member of 'The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW-Network),' a panel formed for the international treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons. His research interests include fundamental chemistry, environmental chemistry, organic pollution, the effects of heavy metals on living organisms, and particulate matter. He has published 81 research articles in various national and international journals.
