1. Your career took you from medicine to global nutrition research and policy. Can you walk us through this journey and the key moments that shaped your path?

I was born in a village in Bangladesh, the only one of seven siblings to be born in my grandfather’s house. My childhood and teenage years were spent in Jessore and Khulna, where my father worked in the civil service. I completed my matriculation at Kaliganj Upazila and then moved to Dhaka College for intermediate studies. I went on to Barishal Medical College as part of the 87-88 batch for my MBBS.

During my internship, I realized that my true passion wasn’t clinical practice but prevention, research, and development. I was drawn to systemic solutions over treating individual patients. That led me to discover the one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Nutrition and Dietetics at Dhaka University’s Institute of Nutrition and Food Science (INFS). The course was tailored for medical graduates and those from science or agriculture backgrounds, so I specialized in human nutrition.

After completing the diploma, I joined the same institute as a Researcher. A few months later, I received a scholarship to pursue my Master’s in Professional Studies on Food and Nutrition Planning at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). This 1.5-year program, which integrated economics, agriculture, nutrition and community development, was transformative. I graduated at the top of my class with a CGPA of 1.07, which remains the highest in the department’s history.

At the convocation, I had the opportunity to meet a senior official from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who recommended I meet Sir Fazle Hasan Abed when I returned to Bangladesh. Following his advice, I connected with Sir Abed and joined BRAC in January 1992, working in the Nutrition Research Unit of its Research and Evaluation Division.

In pursuit of further specialization, I embarked on a joint PhD in Nutritional Epidemiology from Umeå University (Sweden) and Cornell University (USA). By the late 1990s, I began working part-time with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), eventually moving to their regional office in Bangkok as a Nutrition Consultant. A year later, I received a joint offer from the Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor and relocated to Canada.

In Canada, I worked with Prof. Stanley Zlotkin, a professor of nutrition and gastroenterology who had invented micronutrient sprinkles—tasteless, odorless white powders containing essential vitamins and minerals designed to fortify homemade baby food in developing countries. Unlike in the West, where pre-fortified baby food is common, mothers in Asia and Africa often prepare meals at home without access to essential nutrients. The sprinkles solved this problem, and I became the Director of Programs of the Sprinkles Global Health Initiative while continuing my teaching role.

My key contribution was translating research into policy. I successfully advocated for the adoption of micronutrient sprinkles as a public nutrition health intervention to governments and organizations worldwide. In 2004, I presented the idea to Sir Abed and Bangladeshi policymakers, leading to a pilot project at BRAC. Soon after, local companies like RENATA and SMC adopted the sprinkles. Eventually the program was scaled up in 18 additional countries in partnerships with UNICEF, WFP, Micronutrient Initiative, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, World Bank, Heinz Foundation and other international organizations.

After Toronto, I briefly worked with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Geneva before joining the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, exploring nuclear applications in health and nutrition. In 2009, I returned to Bangladesh as Director of BRAC’s Research and Evaluation Division, overseeing multidisciplinary research in health, nutrition, environment, rural development, education, and economics. Later that year, I joined the World Bank in Washington D.C. as a Senior Health and Nutrition Specialist, where I worked across Africa, East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East.

2. After decades abroad, you’ve returned to Bangladesh with a focus on politics. What motivated this shift, and what are your goals as an advisor to BNP’s leadership?

Throughout my career, I’ve maintained a strong connection with Bangladesh Nationalist Party – BNP, beginning as an activist during my student years. I co-founded and served as the president of Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatradal at Dhaka College and Barishal Medical College, respectively. Even while working internationally, I maintained close communication with BNP leadership.

After the political shift in Bangladesh on August 5th, 2024, I felt a strong calling to contribute directly to the nation’s future. I decided to retire from World Bank to return and offer my expertise in shaping policies that align with the country’s long-term needs building on my international development experiences. Now, as an Adviser to the Chairperson, my role focuses on research and policy development through BNP’s research wing, Bangladesh Nationalist Research Centre – BNRC.

My aim is to contribute to the BNP’s Acting Chairman Mr. Tarique Rahman’s vision of transforming BNP into a knowledge-driven, reform-oriented party. Beyond addressing immediate political challenges, we must focus on long-term goals like human development—quality education, healthcare, nutrition, and women’s empowerment. Empowering our youth with the skills to compete globally is critical to Bangladesh’s success as an upper-middle-income nation. Under Mr. Tarique Rahman’s leadership, I believe BNP can drive the reforms necessary to create a modern, equitable Bangladesh.

3. Bangladesh’s broader healthcare system remains troubled. What are the fundamental problems you’ve observed?

While NGO-driven programs have achieved success in areas like family planning and immunization, our overall healthcare system faces deep structural issues. A major problem is underfunding—Bangladesh allocates only 0.76% of its GDP to health, far below the WHO’s recommended 5%. Inefficiency and corruption further diminish these limited resources.

Our primary healthcare facilities are ineffective, with union health centers lacking staff, medicines, and equipment. As a result, patients are forced to seek costly private care. Upazila hospitals are typically staffed with just 3-4 doctors, making it impossible to meet basic healthcare needs. The root of this crisis lies in outdated systems, beginning with medical education, which still follows pre-independence, memorization-based curricula instead of modern competency-based approaches.

These issues trickle through the entire system. Inadequate internship training leaves new doctors unprepared, leading many to pursue specialization instead of most needed primary care. The lack of a referral system causes patients to bypass local clinics, overwhelming specialists with minor cases while emergencies go unattended. This dysfunction leads to harmful practices, such as overprescription, and unnecessary tests, which compromise patient safety and contribute to issues like antibiotic resistance.

Adding to the problem is the lack of legal protections. The 1982 Private Healthcare Ordinance established facilities without clear patient rights, and even today, there is little accountability for medical negligence or malpractice. Until we address these interconnected challenges—funding, education, and governance—our healthcare system will continue to fail the people it should serve.

4. You’ve highlighted systemic issues in Bangladesh’s healthcare. What role does doctor-patient communication play in this crisis, and how does it affect medical outcomes?

The issue runs both ways. On the healthcare provider side, doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and pathologists lack proper training in patient communication—a gap caused by our outdated curriculum as well as outdated cultural practices. On the patient side, many wait until their condition becomes critical to seek care, worsening outcomes and straining the system. Despite this, patients often blame the system, even though early intervention could prevent complications.

This breakdown in trust has serious consequences. Each year, hundreds of thousands travel abroad for treatment, draining $7-8 billion from our economy. The solution lies in dual action: training healthcare professionals in compassionate care and educating patients on preventive health and timely treatment. Without rebuilding this trust, the cycle will persist.

5. How are the complex challenges of malnutrition affecting our population and economic growth in Bangladesh?

Malnutrition in our country has two dangerous faces. First is undernutrition – when children and mothers suffer from food shortages, inadequate medical care and bad environmental hygiene and sanitation, it leads to wasting and stunting. This directly impacts brain development, harming a child’s ability to learn and gain skills. The latest DHS shows 23% of under-5 children still suffer from stunting or chronic malnutrition.

But now we’re seeing the opposite problem: overnutrition. More children are becoming overweight from eating too much fast food and junk food. This is causing a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension and cancer. Shockingly, 64% of deaths now come from NCDs – far more than from infectious diseases.

This “double burden” of malnutrition is particularly dangerous because undernutrition and overnutrition require completely different solutions. As we graduate to a middle-income country, we must solve both problems urgently. Our future workforce needs proper brain development through good nutrition, combined with quality education and skills training. This isn’t just a health issue – it’s becoming our national priority for economic development.

6. With global health funding declining and major donors like USAID withdrawing, how can Bangladesh address its nutrition crisis without relying on foreign aid?

The funding landscape for health and nutrition has changed significantly. USAID, once a major donor, has largely exited, and the World Bank’s support has diminished—from the Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Project (BINP) in 1995-96 to the National Nutrition Program until 2010, with no large-scale donor funding for nutrition today.

This funding gap now places the responsibility on our government to prioritize nutrition as a national issue. Malnutrition has multi-sectoral causes and requires comprehensive solutions. While the health sector needs targeted interventions, improvements in agriculture, food systems, social protection, and rural development are equally critical. Even ministries like industry and trade must contribute.

Nutrition should not be hindered by funding alone if it becomes a political priority. BNP can take strong action to ensure no citizen dies without treatment, no child is left behind in education, and individuals not pursuing academics gain vocational skills like stitching, welding, or construction. The state must build systems to skill people based on their talents and connect them to job markets, transforming our growing youth population into drivers of national development.

7. As climate change threatens our food security, what concrete actions must Bangladesh take immediately to safeguard both agriculture and public health?

Our situation is critical—seasonal floods, droughts, and deteriorating soil quality, with organic matter below 2%, demand immediate action. We must transition to regenerative agriculture, reducing reliance on inorganic fertilizers and promoting organic alternatives. Additionally, we need climate-resistant crop varieties that enhance productivity while restoring soil health.

The water crisis is equally urgent. Over-extraction of groundwater must stop, and we need nationwide canal digging and organic irrigation systems. In vulnerable southern regions, large-scale climate-adaptive projects are essential. For too long, we’ve taken from nature without replenishing it. Now, it’s time for comprehensive national policies that protect agriculture and prevent future disasters. The time for underestimating climate change is over—our survival depends on immediate, coordinated action.

8. Our education system remains disconnected from job market realities. How can we fundamentally restructure it to prepare youth for actual employment needs while respecting different talents?

Our education system is out of touch with the job market. Students are funneled into rigid streams—arts, science, or commerce—without proper career guidance. Graduates often end up in jobs by chance, while those who don’t fit into traditional academics face stigma and lack options.

To fix this, we need to rethink education from the ground up. Start with strong foundational education until Class 8, then give students the option to pursue either academic or vocational paths. Vocational education shouldn’t be seen as separate tracks but part of the same respected system. Vocational students would still learn core subjects, while gaining hands-on skills, with clear routes to enter the workforce or pursue technical higher education.

We also need to introduce third language training (Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic) and digital/AI literacy from Class 8. This will better prepare students for the global stage. But most importantly, we must break down the false divide between academic and technical education. Skilled trades should be as respected as university degrees.

By aligning education with the actual needs of the economy, we can tap into the full potential of our youth. And with digital technologies and AI evolving fast, we need to adapt quickly to stay relevant.

9. How can we improve the quality of our primary school teachers to address learning poverty?

The reality is alarming: 54-58% of 10-year-olds who finish grade five can’t properly read or understand a simple paragraph. This highlights the deep issues in our primary education system, where teachers, the backbone of learning, are often underqualified and undervalued.

To fix this, we must elevate the status of primary school teaching. This means better salaries, incentives, and social recognition to attract talented educators. Alongside this, we need to improve school facilities—enhancing classroom quality, integrating digital technology, and creating a more engaging curriculum that encourages active learning. These concrete steps are essential to revitalizing primary education and ensuring our children’s future success.

10. How can Bangladesh fix its bureaucratic challenges to create better synergy across government systems?

Bureaucracy is essential for running a country, but ours needs fundamental reform to become truly responsive and efficient. The biggest hurdle is excessive politicization, which serves neither the officials nor the citizens. Depoliticizing appointments and transfers are crucial to ensuring the right people are in the right roles.

A key opportunity lies in engaging our diaspora—skilled professionals abroad, eager to contribute their expertise without compensation. These experts can support our bureaucracy by handling specialized areas while career officials manage day-to-day operations.

True progress also requires breaking down ministerial silos. For example, improving health outcomes demands collaboration between the Health, Agriculture, and Local Government ministries. This kind of coordination should be applied across all sectors. We need clear frameworks that define each ministry’s role and how they should work together to achieve shared goals.

With these reforms—depoliticization, diaspora engagement, and inter-ministerial cooperation—we can transform our bureaucracy into an engine of national progress.

11. As BNP’s advisor, how will you translate policy ideas on health, education and climate resilience into tangible improvements people can feel?

For the first time in history, long before elections, BNP has developed a comprehensive framework to reform state infrastructure. We’ve addressed key areas like constitutional matters, power balance, decentralization, elections, and social sectors such as health, education, women’s and youth development, climate change and agriculture. Through local meetings at the zila and upazila levels, we’re explaining these 31 points to the public.

We’re converting these points into detailed policy documents, followed by action plans that will be shared with party workers in simple terms for effective communication and implementation. Acting Chairman Mr. Tarique Rahman prioritizes social sectors, focusing on improving existing infrastructure and enhancing daily life through human resource development.

12. What guidance would you give young professionals wanting to make real impact in Bangladesh’s public health and policy sectors?

To engage younger leaders, we’re organizing workshops, idea competitions and debates focused on the importance and implementation of the 31 reform points, particularly in the social sector. These workshops will provide in-depth guidance on how these reforms can improve areas like health, education, and youth development. By equipping younger leaders with this knowledge, they will be better prepared to communicate the benefits to the public and effectively contribute to the reform process.

13. What are your hobbies or interests outside work?

I have a deep passion for traveling, exploring new places, and experiencing different cultures. In addition, I enjoy watching classic films from the 70s and 80s, especially those starring iconic pairs like Rajjak and Kabori, as well as Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha. These timeless films bring nostalgia and unforgettable moments to my viewing experience.

14. What personal vision drives your work?

I envision a Bangladesh where every boy and girl has the opportunity to reach their full potential, becoming top experts in their fields and competing at the global level. We aim to provide the right tools, opportunities, and support to help them soar to new heights, contributing to a brighter future for our nation.