Evidence for healthier hearts across Bangladesh.
The Department of Epidemiology and Research at the National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute has studied since 2003 why cardiovascular disease happens in Bangladesh, and has turned that evidence into prevention programs, training for clinicians and national policy.
- 23
- years of research, since 2003
- 173
- peer-reviewed publications
- 11
- research studies, 3 ongoing
- 10
- prevention and advocacy programs
Working with
Government, universities and funders in Bangladesh and abroad. 18 partners.
01What we do
From data to national policy
Founded in 2003, the Department of Epidemiology and Research at the National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute is a leading hub for cardiovascular disease research in Bangladesh.
Research and surveillance
Clinical epidemiology and biostatistics on hypertension, tobacco, diet and salt, air pollution and road injury, with surveillance of non-communicable diseases across the country.
Research studiesPrevention programs
From the Bangladesh Hypertension Control Initiative to tobacco control, salt reduction and road safety, our programs reach patients in clinics, communities in the field and decision-makers in government.
Our programsTraining and academic support
We train physicians and health workers, support MD and MS postgraduate students with study design and statistics, and publish the Journal of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh.
Academic support
02Programs
Where the evidence goes to work
Prevention and advocacy programs delivered with government, hospitals and civil society.
All programs
Featured program
Bangladesh Hypertension Control Initiative (BHCI)
A national partnership with NCDC, DGHS, and Resolve to Save Lives scaling WHO HEARTS-based hypertension management across 47 districts and 328 Upazila Health Complexes in Bangladesh.
Read about the program
Road Safety and Injury Prevention Program
A coordinated advocacy and public health initiative to reduce road crash deaths and injuries in Bangladesh — through evidence, policy, and community action.
Read about the program
Tobacco Control Program
To influence policymakers to amend tobacco control laws, raise public awareness, and promote healthy, tobacco-free lifestyles through specialized cessation clinics.
Read about the program
BELIEVE-Urban Study
A prospective cohort of 59,844 Mirpur residents — Bangladesh's largest NCD bioresource — investigating cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk through questionnaires, anthropometry, biospecimens and genomics. A collaboration between NHFH&RI and the University of Cambridge since 2016.
Read about the program
Large Scale Food Fortification Country Advocacy Bangladesh
The LSFF Advocacy Program aims to reduce micronutrient deficiencies by promoting fortified edible oil through policy advocacy, market regulation, and public awareness.
Read about the program
04Publications
Recent research output
173 peer-reviewed publications since 2006, from national surveillance to clinical trials.
Full database- 2026Coronary artery calcium score and acute myocardial infarction in young Bangladeshi adults: a case-control studyMd Mostafa Monower, Ahmad Khairul Abrar, Iftekhar Ali Khandakar, et al. · Harvard Dataverse
- 2026Abstract WE505: A WHO Nutrient Profile Model Provides The Most Robust Limits For Sugar, Sodium, And Saturated Fats To Underpin Nutrition Policy In BangladeshXiao Hu, Ahmad Khairul Abrar, Ummay Afroza, et al. · Circulation
- 2026Key Informant Perceptions of Dietary Sources of Sodium in BangladeshIsabella Day, Ahmad Khairul Abrar, Tamanna Afroza, et al. · Current Developments in Nutrition
- 2026The Interplay between Medication Adherence and Health-Related Quality of Life in Hypertensive Elderly People in Rangpur Region of BangladeshTaslima Zannat, Shafia Shaheen, Irfan Nowroze Noor, et al. · Community Based Medical Journal
- 2026Testing Front-of-Package Labels on Packaged Food for Adult and Adolescent Population in BangladeshAbu Ahmed Shamim, Lindsey Smith Taillie, Oumma Halima, et al. · Current Developments in Nutrition
Official journal
Journal of National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh
The Foundation's peer-reviewed journal, published in English three times a year. It carries clinical cardiology, cardiac surgery, basic-science and epidemiological work, case reports and technical notes, and is edited with this department: our head serves as Associate Editor.
- Published
- January, May and September
- Current issue
- Vol. 14, Supplement (2025)
- Editor-in-Chief
- Prof. Fazila-Tun-Nesa Malik
- Print ISSN
- 2226-454X
- Online ISSN
- 3080-9479
- Associate Editor
- Prof. Sohel Reza Choudhury
05People
The team behind the evidence
25 researchers, physicians, program officers and analysts work in the department, with field teams across the country.
Full directory
Head of Department
Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury
Professor & Head Department of Epidemiology and Research
Leads the department's research, prevention programs and academic support, and represents it with government, partners and the journal.
View profile
Dr Shamim Jubayer
Deputy Program Director, BHCI, NHFB
Mustak Hassan Md Iftekhar
Consultant (NHF-LSFF Project)
Dr Mahfuzur Rahman Bhuiyan
Additional Program Director BHCI
Mohd Abdullah Al Mamun
Associate Professor
Dr. Aruna Sarker
Program Coordinator (Tobacco Control)
Dr. Ahmad K. Abrar
Assistant Scientist
Dr. Md. Ahsan uz zaman
Surveillance Medical Officer
Dr. Jubaida Akhtar
Research Medical Officer
06Our founder
National Professor Brig. (Retd.) Abdul Malik
MRCP, FCCP, FCPS, FACC, FRCP (Glasgow), FRCP (Edinburgh)
In 1978, Professor Abdul Malik founded the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, a non-governmental organisation endorsed by the Government and devoted to cardiovascular health. He guided it as Honorary Secretary-General and later as President, building the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute.
Founder President of the Bangladesh Cardiac Society and the SAARC Cardiac Society, a member of the WHO Expert Panel on Cardiovascular Diseases, and recipient of the Independence Award (2004) and the title of National Professor (2006), he also led the formation of the United Forum Against Tobacco in 2010. He passed away on 5 December 2023 at the age of 94; his work continues through the institutions he built.
Read the full biography07Work with us
Support that reaches millions
Donors, institutions and students each have a place in this work. Every partnership shows up in programs, publications and people you can see on this site.
Fund a program
Support hypertension control, tobacco control, salt reduction or road safety work with measurable reach and published results.
Talk to usCollaborate on research
Joint studies, data partnerships and technical support with universities, agencies and international partners.
See current studiesStudy with us
Thesis design, statistical analysis and mentorship for MD and MS postgraduate students since 2003.
Academic support