On 18 January 2026, the Department of Biomedical Engineering of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and icddr,b signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing a five-year framework to advance interdisciplinary research and innovation at the interface of biomedical engineering and public health.

The collaboration reflects BUET’s growing leadership in translational biomedical engineering and its commitment to developing technology-driven healthcare solutions. Through this partnership, BUET BME will work closely with icddr,b to jointly develop competitive research proposals for external funding by integrating engineering innovation with public health expertise.

The partnership will focus on several strategic research areas led by advances in biomedical engineering, including artificial intelligence for healthcare, mobile health technologies, low-cost medical devices, biomedical signal and image analysis, biomaterials, and drug development. These technologies will be applied to major national and global health challenges such as communicable and non-communicable diseases, maternal and neonatal health, nutrition, and climate-sensitive health issues.

The MoU also creates opportunities for academic and research exchange through internships, joint supervision of students, visiting researcher appointments, and sabbatical collaborations, subject to institutional approval. In addition, both institutions will organize joint workshops, seminars, and short-term training programmes aimed at strengthening research capacity and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.

The agreement was signed by Dr Taufiq Hasan, Professor and Head of the department of Department of Biomedical Engineering, on behalf of BUET, and Dr Tahmeed Ahmed on behalf of icddr,b. Faculty members and senior representatives from both institutions attended the signing ceremony, including Dr Mustafizur Rahman, Senior Director of the Infectious Diseases Division at icddr,b.

The designated focal points for the collaboration are Dr. Taufiq Hasan from BUET and Dr. Firdausi Qadri from icddr,b.

The objective of this collaboration is to accelerate the design, development, and validation of affordable and scalable healthcare technologies that can be translated into real-world clinical and public health applications. By combining BUET’s strengths in biomedical engineering research and technological innovation with icddr,b’s research expertise, the partnership aims to create impactful, evidence-based healthcare solutions with both national and global relevance.