Renowned Scientist Dr. Tofazzal Islam appointed Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at GAU
Gazipur City Correspondent
Internationally renowned scientist Professor Dr. Md. Tofazzal Islam has been appointed as the new Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Gazipur Agricultural University (GAU). The information was confirmed through an official order signed by the University Registrar, Md. Abdullah Mridha, on December 29.
Through this appointment, he succeeds the outgoing Dean, Professor Dr. Md. Ramiz Uddin Mia. The formal handover of responsibilities was completed on Tuesday. Professor Dr. Tofazzal Islam will serve in this important position for a two-year term starting from December 31, 2025.
Professor Dr. Tofazzal Islam obtained both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Agriculture from Bangladesh Agricultural University, securing first class first position. He later earned his PhD in Applied Biosciences from Hokkaido University, Japan, with the highest distinction.
He is the founding Director of the Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (IBGE) at Gazipur Agricultural University. Previously, he also served as Director of the university’s International Affairs Division and the Outreach Center.
One of his most notable research contributions was leading an international team of scientists in 2016 to identify wheat blast disease in Bangladesh, which brought him global recognition. His CRISPR-based rapid disease detection technology is considered a groundbreaking milestone in ensuring global food security.
In recognition of his outstanding research contributions, Professor Dr. Tofazzal Islam has published more than 480 research articles in internationally reputed journals. According to Google Scholar, his work has received over 15,000 citations, and his h-index stands at 61—an exceptional achievement among Bangladeshi scientists.
As part of his international recognition, he became the first Bengali in the 120-year history of the American Phytopathological Society (APS) to be elected as a Fellow. He is also a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS).
According to the Stanford–Elsevier ranking, he has consistently been listed among the world’s top 2 percent of scientists. His role has been instrumental in establishing Gazipur Agricultural University as Bangladesh’s leading research-based university in the Times Higher Education rankings.
Enriched with extensive international research experience, Professor Islam has completed post-doctoral research under fellowships from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany, the Commonwealth Scholarship of the United Kingdom, and the Fulbright Program of the United States.
For his special contributions to science and technology, he has received numerous national and international honors, including the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences Gold Medal, UGC Research Award, Commonwealth Innovation Award, and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Transformers Award.
