The government has appointed international researcher Dr Md Shakirul Islam Khan (Shakil) as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for foreign employment in the Asia-Pacific region, with the rank of secretary.
The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification in this regard on Thursday.
According to the notification, he will assume the role upon relinquishing any other professional, business or institutional affiliations with government, semi-government or private entities. His appointment will remain valid for the tenure of the prime minister or until further notice, whichever comes first.
Dr Shakirul Islam Khan is a former student and teacher of Bangladesh Agricultural University and currently serves as a faculty member in the Department of Microbiology at Oita University, Japan. He is also affiliated with the Research Centre for Global and Local Infectious Diseases (RCGLID).
He has over 25 years of professional experience and has worked in multiple countries. His research focuses on public health, particularly in developing countries, including work on dengue, avian influenza, hepatitis, Covid-19, rabies and the Nipah virus.
Dr Khan completed his PhD from Ehime University, Japan, in 2009, following his MSc from the same institution as a JICA scholar. He also earned both his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Bangladesh Agricultural University.