Meet Dr Zaved

Prof. Dr. Zaved Khan is a Professor and Chairman of the Department of Chemical Engineering, as well as the Director of the NAME Lab since 2017. He has a distinguished academic and research career with extensive international experience.

Dr. Zaved previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Henan University, China, and Tohoku University, Japan. From 2011 to 2012, he was a Senior Lecturer and Coordinator in the Department of Textile Engineering at Daffodil International University, Dhaka. Prior to that, between 2008 and 2011, he worked as a Research Associate on the GCOE project at Waseda University, Japan. He also served as a Research Assistant at the Advanced Analysis Centre, KIST, Seoul, South Korea.

Dr. Zaved earned his Doctor of Engineering (D. Eng.) from Waseda University, Japan, in 2011. He received his M.S. degree from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, in 2007, and completed both his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Islamic University, Bangladesh, between 1999 and 2005.

Throughout his career, Dr. Zaved has actively engaged in transnational research collaborations across Japan, USA, Malaysia, China, South Korea, Thailand, and Bangladesh. His work spans multidisciplinary areas and has been published in numerous high-impact journals. He has also presented at over 100 international conferences as Keynote/Invited speaker.

Prof. Zaved’s research primarily focuses on nanotechnology, biotechnology and electrochemistry, with special interest in nano-biosensors, agricultural nanotechnology, and electroanalytical methods. He has published over 170 research papers in reputed journals and is the inventor of 12 patents filed with the Bangladesh Patent Office. His research has garnered over 5,600 citations (Google Scholar profile).

One of Prof. Zaved’s most impactful innovations is the development of Nano Urea, a sprayable fertilizer that significantly reduces costs and environmental impact. Traditional urea fertilizers cost approximately BDT 4,200 per bigha, whereas Nano Urea reduces this to around BDT 230, offering a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative. Nano Urea utilizes nanotechnology to reduce urea particles to an extremely small size, allowing efficient absorption through the stomata of leaves. This minimizes wastage due to leaching or evaporation, delivering nitrogen more effectively to crops. This precision in nutrient delivery not only enhances crop yield but also minimizes carbon and nitrogen emissions, contributing to zero carbon emission goals.

Prof. Zaved’s innovation is not only gaining attention nationally but also internationally, with American bio-fertilizer companies showing keen interest. He has recently signed several collaboration agreements with US-based companies, to carry out joint R&D over the next five years.

Dr. Zaved has been recognized as the Best Researcher at his university for several consecutive years. From 2020 to 2024, his name appeared in the Top 2% of Scientists Worldwide, as identified by Stanford University and Elsevier.

His accolades include:

• Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS) Gold Medal in Physical Sciences (2021)
• UGC Gold Medal in both 2018 and 2019 for outstanding research