Professor Dr. Ishtiaque Ahmed earned his J.S.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) in International Maritime Law and Policy from the Center for Oceans and Coastal Law at the University of Maine School of Law, USA, the State of Maine’s flagship and only public law school. He completed his Master of Laws (LL.M.) with a specialization in Maritime Law from the University of London, undertaken in association with Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and University College London (UCL), in 2010. Dr. Ahmed has played a central role in Bangladesh’s ship-recycling law reform. He initially served as the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) National Legal Consultant for Bangladesh, advising on domestic legal reforms and institutional capacity-building to enable ratification of the Hong Kong Convention. He was subsequently appointed as the sole Legal Consultant by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), during which tenure he drafted the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Rules 2025 (proposed) and revised the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Act 2018. These instruments were presented to national and international stakeholders and have received formal endorsement from the Ministry of Industries of the Government of Bangladesh. They are currently undergoing official vetting prior to placement before the appropriate legislative authorities and the National Parliament for enactment. Dr. Ahmed has published extensively in reputed international journals and has presented scholarly work on maritime, oceans, and coastal law at numerous international conferences hosted by leading universities and prestigious organizations worldwide. In recognition of his research contributions, he was awarded a Gold Medal, a monetary award, and a Certificate of Outstanding Research for the period 2018–2020, and was acknowledged as the Best Researcher at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of North South University. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb) since 2010. Earlier in his professional life, Dr. Ahmed was an ex-cadet of the Bangladesh Marine Academy Chittagong (29th Batch), where he completed a four-year Marine Engineering programme aligned with the Merchant Navy Training Board (UK), and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering in 1995. He subsequently served as a certified Merchant Marine Engineer Officer, working aboard ocean-going vessels as Third and Fourth Engineer with several international shipping companies, including Acomarit (UK) Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (Japan) , New Asia Shipping Company Ltd.(Hong Kong) , and Sea Quest Shipping Co. Ltd. (Singapore), between 1996 and 1999. Dr. Ahmed is currently serving as Chairman & Head of the Department of Law at North South University, a position he has held since September 2024, having previously served in the same role from January 2019 to January 2021. He joined North South University as a full-time faculty member in September 2011. His academic career began in January 2006 as a full-time Lecturer in the Department of Law at Stamford University Bangladesh. In addition, Dr. Ahmed is a Non-Resident Visiting Scholar at the Center for Oceans and Coastal Law, University of Maine School of Law, a leading U.S. interdisciplinary centre for research and teaching on ocean and coastal law and policy, and the only such centre within a law school in the North-Eastern United States.
Journal Articles:
Ishtiaque Ahmed, 'The Origin and Evolution of Shipbreaking Regime of India: A Critical Perspective', OCEAN YEARBOOK, Schulich Law School, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada (vol. 36, 2022), Ahmed, I. (2022). The Origin and Evolution of the Shipbreaking Regime in India: A Critical Perspective, Ocean Yearbook Online, 36(1), 551-620. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/22116001-03601019
Ishtiaque Ahmed, 'Unravelling Socio-economic and Ecological Distribution Conflicts in Ship Breaking in Bangladesh for Addressing Negative Externalities in Law and Policy Making' MINNESOTA JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW (Minn. J. Int. Law), 158-210 (2020), University of Minnesota School of Law, USA. Available at https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/mjgt29&div=17&id=&page=
Ishtiaque Ahmed, Ungovernable Ships at the End of their Lives and the Response of the Hong Kong Convention: A Critical Appraisal of the Treaty on Ship-breaking from the Perspective of South Asian Ship-breaking Nations, 18 Santa Clara J. Int'l L. 124-174 (2020), University of Santa Clara School of Law, USA , Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/scujil/vol18/iss2/3/
Ishtiaque Ahmed, Safe & Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships: A Stocktaking of the Current State of International Law, 31 Fordham Envtl. L. Rev. 60 (2020). University of Fordham School of Law, USA,.Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/elr/vol31/iss1/7
Ishtiaque Ahmed, The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal: A Legal Misfit in Global Ship Recycling Jurisprudence, 29 Wash. L. Rev. 411-454, (2020). University of Washington School of Law, USA, https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wilj/vol29/iss2/7/
Ishtiaque Ahmed, ‘Unmasking the Critical Participants in Shipbreaking Industry for Apportioning Their Role in Law and Policy Making: A Perspective from Bangladesh’ TRANSPORTATION LAW JOURNAL, (TRANSP. J.) Strum College of Law, University of Denver, USA, Spring 202I, https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/tportl47&div=2&id=&page=
Ishtiaque Ahmed, ‘Toward a Safe and Sustainable Industry of Ship-breaking: International Initiatives and South Asian Response" , JOURNAL OF MARITIME LAW AND COMMERCE , (JMLC), USA, July 2020, https://www.jmlc.org/nextissue.ph >
Ishtiaque Ahmed, The Origin and Evaluation of Ship Breaking Regime of South Asia: A Critical Perspective from Bangladesh, LEGAL ISSUES JOURNAL, UK (2020). https://www.legalissuesjournal.com/article/082
Jashim Ahmed, Ishtiaque Ahmed, Muhammad Chowdhury, ‘Ferdous; Custom Made Tailors Fabrics fashions: New Challenges Ahead", ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (APJMRI), SAGE Publications, Vol: 12 (2), 177-183 (Nov. 2016). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2319510X16671565I
Ishtiaque Ahmed,' Bangladesh: A Jurisdiction Wails for Scholarly Research for Sustainability & Development', Dhaka, THE CHARTERED SECRETARY (ICSB, A Statutory Body under an Act of Parliament) , pp. 20-22 (March 2015).
Ishtiaque Ahmed, ‘ADR in Corporate Wrangling; A Vehicle for Easy Access to Justice’, Dhaka, THE CHARTERED SECRETARY (ICSB, A Statutory Body under an Act of Parliament), XIV (1), pp. 28-34 (March 2012).
Ishtiaque Ahmed, 'Implementing the Ship Recycling Convention in the Developing Nations: An Evaluation on the Legislative Gaps on the Jurisdiction, Methods, and Procedures of Ship Recycling in Bangladesh', Journal of Maritime Lw and Commerce, JMLC, USA (2025) forthcoming
Ishtiaque Ahmed & Zeba Farah Haque, (Accepted/In press). Article 14: Definitions. In A. Quintavalla, & L. Reins (Eds.), The Basel Convention: A Commentary on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal Edward Elgar. (forthcoming)
Academic Conference:
Ishtiaque Ahmed, 'Ship breaking regimes of India and Bangladesh: An assessment of their compatibility with international laws' (International Conference on Sustainable Development 2019, Joseph B. Martin Conference Centre, Harvard University, Boston, USA, 10-11 December , 2019) https://www.ontariointernational.org/index_htm_files/ProgramV_8.pdf
Ishtiaque Ahmed, ‘Jurisdiction, Practice and Procedure of Ship-recycling: International Law and the Response of Bangladesh and India’ (1st International Conference on Social Science and Law-2019, University of Barishal, Bangladesh, 15-16 March 2019), http://conference.bu.ac.bd/
Ishtiaque Ahmed, 'The Global Movement for a Policy on Sustainable Ship Recycling Industry and the Response of the Developing Nations: A Critical Analysis of the Ship- breaking Regime of Bangladesh', 8th Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) 2020, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Earth Institute, Columbia University, USA, 21-22 September 2020. https://ic-org/2020/11/21/proceedings-from-icsd-2020/
Ishtiaque Ahmed, Environmentally Sound Management in Ship-breaking: International Initiatives and the Response of Bangladesh and India,’ 9th Bienniel Oceanic Conference on International Studies (OCIS 2020), Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, Australian National Univerity, Canberra, Australia ( 5-11 December 2020) , http://www.ocis.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/OCIS-2020-Conference-Program_8-December.pdf
Ishtiaque Ahmed, ‘The Global Regime for the Safe & Environmentally Sound Disposal of End of Life Ships: A Critical Appraisal’, 9th Bienniel Oceanic Conference on International Studies (OCIS 2020), Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, Australian National Univerity, Canberra, Australia ( 5-11 December 2020) http://www.ocis.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/OCIS-2020-Conference-Program_8-December.pdf
Ishtiaque Ahmed, ' The Basel Convention & the Shipbreaking Hazardous Waste Management System in Bangladesh: A Critical and Comparative Perspective" , NSU Law Conference: Law in the Contemporary World, North South University, Dhaka, February 2024.
Ditkof, M., Ahmed, I., Dey, A., and Rose, A.: Asbestos Management in Bangladesh's Shipbreaking Industry: Challenges, Compliance, and Pathways to Legal Reform, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5336, 2025.<https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/EGU25-5336.html>
Arthur Rose (University of Exeter), Ishtiaque Ahmed (North South University, Bangladesh), and Martin Ditkof (University of Colorado- Boulder), 'Asbestos, Ship-breaking and Legal Silence in Bangladesh’s Compliance with the Hong Kong Convention', Critical Legal Conference 2025 (CLC-2025) 4-6 Sep 2025, University of Exeter, UK <https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/clc2025/conference-abstracts/>
Ishtiaque Ahmed , 'Rethinking Treaty Compliance from the Periphery: Bangladesh, the Hong Kong Convention, and the Asymmetries of International Environmental Law ', Critical Legal Conference 2025 (CLC-2025) , University of Exeter, UK <https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/clc2025/conference-abstracts/>
Invited Speaker in Industry Conference:
Ishtiaque Ahmed, Ratification of the Hong Kong Convention and Hazardouns Waste Managmenet Regime of Bangladesh & India: A Comparative Perspective (10th ACI Ship Recycling Congress 1-2 February 2023, Amsterdam - The Netherlands) (forthcoming) https://www.wplgroup.com/aci/event/ship-recycling-congress/
Ishtiaque Ahmed, Ratification of the Hong Kong Convention and Hazardouns Waste Managmenet Regime of Bangladesh: A Critical Perspective (The 7th International Green & Smart Shipping Summit 15-16 February 2023) Wisdom Events, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) (forthcoming) https://www.gssummit.org/
Ishtiaque Ahmed, The Global Call-out for a Green and Sustainable Industry of Ship-breaking and the Challenges for the Developing Nations: The Perspective of Bangladesh, (The 5th International Green & Smart Shipping Summit 02-03 September 2020) Wisdom Events, London, UK, https://www.globalmaritimeevent.com/about/green-and-smart-shipping-summit/
Ishtiaque Ahmed, 'International Law for the Sustainable Industry of Ship-Breaking and the Domestic Implementation Challenges: A Perspective from the South Asian Developing Nations', (9th ACI Ship Recycling Congress 27-28 January 2021, Rotterdam - The Netherlands) (Forthcoming), https://www.wplgroup.com/aci/event/ship-recycling-congress/
Ishtiaque Ahmed, 'Safety & Health in Ship Breaking Industry; International Initiatives and Bangladesh Response, (The 6th International Green & Smart Shipping Summit 20-21 January 2021) Wisdom Events, London, UK, https://www.industryevents.com/events/global-maritime-week-2021
Workshop:
Ishtiaque Ahmed, 'Hong Kong Convention and the Framework Legislations on Ship Recycling in Bangladesh: A Gap Analysis for the Purpose of the Effective Implementation of the Convention', (IMO Seminar on Ship Recycling and the Hong Kong Convention, Zhoushan, China, 23 -25 July 2019)
Ishtiaque Ahmed, 'Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling in Bangladesh', (International Maritime Organization Workshop on Ship Recycling, Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka, November 2018)
Ishtiaque Ahmed, International trade in the North Atlantic Arctic and near-Arctic regions; Legal and Technological Infrastructure Challenges, (Fourth Ramball Arctic Round Tables 2016, Portland ME, USA 8-9 December 2016)
Worked as an environmental law expert for Japan Marine Science Inc. and New Vision in the feasibility study report on establishing a treatment storage and disposal facility (TSDF) for ship recycling and other industries in Bangladesh. The project was funded by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), administered by Ministry of Industries Bangladesh focusing on the amendment of 'Hazardous Waste and Shipbreaking Waste Management Rule 2011'
Served as the sole Legal Consultant of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for Bangladesh in the SENSREC (Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling) Phase III Project, focusing on regulatory amendments to the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Rules, 2011 and the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Act 2018.
J.S.D. (University of Maine School of Law, USA) , LL.B (Hons) University of London, LL.M (Maritime Law) University of London in Association with Queen Mary & UCL, Bar-at-Law (UK) , Bachelor of Science (Marine Engineering), Bangladesh Marine Academy, Chittagong (29th Batch), Ex Certified Merchant Marine Engineer Officer, Ocean Going Merchant Vessel. PGCL ( Int. Business Law) ,PGDL ( Corporate & Commercial Law) University of London, PGDL (Legal & Professional Skill ) Inns of Court School of Law, City University, London, UK
Prior working full time at the Department of Law at North South University, Mr. Ahmed taught law in different higher educational institutions both at home and abroad as adjunct faculty member. He has got over 12 years of teaching experience at undergraduate and post graduate level including part time positions. He taught Contract Law, Tort Law, Islamic Law, Islamic Criminal Law, Law of Trust , Evidence, European Union Law as adjunct faculty member in LL.B. and LL.M. programs and ‘Business law’ and ‘Business Ethics’ in BBA and MBA programs of the following reputed universities and law schools in Bangladesh.
School of Business & Economics, North South University, (NSU)
United International University (UIU)
International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC) [Dhaka Campus],
Mr. Ahmed worked as "National Consultant (Legal) " of IMO (International Maritime Organization) in Bangladesh to assist the country in the reform and alignment of several domestic maritime legislations and institutional frame work with the international standard. International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized regulatory agency of the United Nations with responsibility for the safety and security of international shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.
He served in the past as "Merchant Marine Engineer Officer" on board ocean going merchant vessels carrying foreign flags. He has about four years sea service experience as 3rd and 4th Engineer. He worked for M/S Mitsui OSK Lines, Japan, Acomarit (UK) Ltd and M/S Sea Quest Shipping Co. Ltd, Singapore as Certified Watch Keeping Officer on board ocean going vessels in full charge of Engine Room watch. Dr. Ahmed has successfully completed the following nationally & internationally accredited courses;
1.Advanced Training on Fire Fighting; Awarding body: BMA ( Bangladesh Marine Academy,Chittagong)
1.Certificate of Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats; Awarding body: BMA ( Bangladesh Marine Academy,Chittagong)
3.Certificate in Personal Safety and Social Responsibility ; Awarding body: Seaman Training Center, Chittagong, Director General of Shipping, Govt of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh
4.Internal Auditor course on ISO 9001:2008; Awarding body: Bureau Veritus Bangladesh Pvt Ltd. 5. Advanced Course on Research Methodology ; Awarding body: University of Dhaka
6. UNDSS Basic Security in the Field ; Awarding body: United Nations Department of Safety & Security
7. UNDSS Advanced Security in the Field ; Awarding body: United Nations Department of Safety & Security
Maritime & Shipping Law (LL.M 515)
Law of the Sea
Corporate Governance (LL.M 512)
Corporate Law
International Commercial Arbitrations
Legal Environment of Business (LAW 200)
Legal Ethics
1. Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London, UK (MCIArb)
2. Dhaka Taxes Bar Association
3. Bangladesh Bar Council
4. Dhaka Bar Association
5. Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association
6. The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, London, UK
7. Ex. Member, Merchant Navy Officers Guild, Hong Kong
8. Member, Rotary Club of Dhaka Mega City
9. Member, International Maritime Lecturer's Association (IMLA) Sweden
10.Member, Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association (BMMOA)
Maritime, Oceans & Coastal Law, International Commercial Arbitration, Corporate & Commercial Law
Maritime and Oceans & Coastal Law Award , University of Maine School of Law , USA. https://mainelaw.maine.edu/news/complete-list-of-awards-for-the-maine-law-class-of-2018