After Five Years and Two Months, JUST Professor Javed Hossain Receives Patent for Nano Urea
Ending a wait of five years and two months, Professor Dr Md Javed Hossain Khan, a nanotechnology researcher at Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST), has received patent approval for his nano urea invention.
The Bangladesh Patent Office approved the patent for his nano urea on Sunday (25 October). The achievement is being seen as an important milestone in the development of modern and environmentally friendly technology for the country's agriculture sector.
According to information provided by Dr Javed Hossain Khan, the patent application for nano urea was filed in 2021. Despite the passage of a long time, approval was not obtained then.
He said the approval process later moved forward after the BNP government took office, following directions from the Prime Minister and the direct guidance and cooperation of Md Ismail Jabiullah, adviser for the Ministry of Public Administration. With the invention finally recognised, the long wait has ended.
In his reaction, Professor Javed Hossain Khan expressed gratitude to everyone concerned. He said they had applied to the Bangladesh Patent Office in 2021 and had finally received approval after a long wait, adding that the Prime Minister's direction and Adviser Md Ismail Jabiullah's sincere cooperation played an important role in the achievement.
He added that the main aim of their research and invention is the welfare of the country's people, and that they work keeping the country's soil, its agriculture and farmers' interests at the forefront.
According to the inventor, if nano urea can be applied effectively, it could increase the efficiency of urea fertiliser use, reduce fertiliser waste, lower production costs and raise crop yields. It could also help reduce the pressure of excessive fertiliser use on the environment.
JUST Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Yearul Kabir expressed delight at the patent. He described it as the fruit of the long dedication and research of Professor Javed Hossain Khan of the university's Department of Chemical Engineering, and called it a matter of pride for the JUST family and the whole nation.
The Vice-Chancellor said the invention not only proves the university's research capability but could also bring major change to the country's agriculture sector. If the same nutrition can be ensured at a lower cost than conventional urea and in an environmentally friendly way, farmers' production costs will fall, he believes.
In his view, the technology could also help save government foreign currency and reduce dependence on urea imports. He hoped the success would inspire other researchers and students at the university, and said JUST would continue to support such research in future.
Javed Hossain Khan has long worked on the development of nanotechnology research in Bangladesh. Since 2013 he has run his own laboratory at JUST, where research on nanotechnology and advanced materials continues at the Nano-Bio and Advanced Materials Engineering (NAM) lab he founded. In 2025 he was elected a fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences.
According to researchers concerned, the patent approval has created possibilities for further development of the invention, technology transfer and commercial production. If the technology can be applied in agriculture through proper scientific testing, field-level effectiveness verification and cooperation with industry, it could play a positive role.
The inventor reiterated that this is a valuable national asset and that he remains steadfast and committed to protecting it and ensuring its use for the greatest welfare of the country and the nation. The next goal now is the effective commercialisation of the invention and bringing the technology within farmers' purchasing power.
