Dr Debashish Pal, Dr Shamshad Quraishi appointed acting members of BAEC
The Ministry of Science and Technology has appointed two eminent scientists, Dr Debashish Pal and Dr Shamshad Begum Quraishi as acting members of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) through official orders issued on 17 June 2025.
Dr Debashish Pal has taken charge as Acting Member (Physical Sciences). He previously served as the Director General of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment. A graduate of the University of Chittagong, he earned his BSc and MSc in Physics in 1986 and 1988 respectively, and completed his PhD from Jadavpur University, India, in 1999.
Joining BAEC in 1993 as a Scientific Officer, Dr Pal rose to become Chief Scientific Officer in 2012. Over three decades, he has contributed to environmental radioactivity monitoring, radiation protection, waste management, and regulatory operations. He also led the Health Physics and Radioactive Waste Management Unit and served as Director of the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology.
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He has represented Bangladesh in IAEA programmes and international conferences in countries including Austria, Canada, Japan, and Russia. He has over 60 research publications and continues to contribute to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project.
Dr Shamshad Begum Quraishi, former Director of the Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka, has been appointed Acting Member (Planning). She joined BAEC in 1993 and has led the Chemistry Division and the Planning and Development Division. She holds an MSc from Rajshahi University and a PhD from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, along with postdoctoral experience in Japan and South Korea.
With over 120 international publications and supervision of more than 100 postgraduate projects, Dr Quraishi is Bangladesh's first ISO/IEC 17025:2005-certified scientist through the European Organisation for Quality. She played a pivotal role in establishing five internationally certified labs in the country.
Her research contributions include identifying toxic substances in imported food and ruling out radiation as the cause of fish deaths in Sunamganj. She has led projects with the FAO, UNIDO, IAEA, and World Bank, and worked with BSTI, BFSA, and BAB on safety standards. She is a member of the Bangladesh Chemical Society and NITUB.
