Mamun Al Mahtab

Mamun Al Mahtab (Shwapnil) is a Bangladeshi hepatologist.

He spent his early life in Dhaka. His schooling started in Rosy Ann Centre, an English medium kindergarten. He subsequently switched to Banani Bidyaniketan and passed Secondary School Certificate examination in 1985 with star marks. He completed Higher Secondary Certificate from Dhaka College in 1987 also with star marks.

He then moved to Mymensingh where he was admitted to the Mymensingh Medical College for his undergraduate medical studies. He got involved in student politics of Bangladesh Chatra League there, inspired by the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was a member of the Central Committee (i.e. Mainuddin Hassan Choudhury - Iqbalur Rahim - Mahbububul Haque Shakil committee) of the organization.

Professor Mahtab graduated from Mymensingh Medical College in 1995. He gained an MSc in Gastroenterology from the University of London in 1998 and subsequently did an MD in Hepatology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in 2006. He is Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, the Indian College of Physicians and the American College of Gastroenterology.

Mahtab is currently working as Chairman, Department of Hepatology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). He is also a Visiting Professor at the Department of Gastroenterology & Metabology, Ehime University, Japan.

He is involved with teaching of post-graduate students and supervision of MD (Hepatology) thesis under BSMMU. He is PhD thesis co-supervisor and PhD examiner of the University of Malaya, Malaysia, Tehran University, Iran, University of Madras and Dr. A P J Abul Kalam Technical University, India and University of Dhaka and Rajshahi University in Bangladesh.

Research

He has conducted several clinical trials, which have been presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. He is the Principal Investigator of the Phase-I/II and III clinical trials of NASVAC, a new generic for chronic hepatitis B, which is already registered in Bangladesh, Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Belarus and Angola. It is the first drug to be developed and registered in Bangladesh. NASVAC is also the ‘first novel molecule’ to be registered by the Directorate General of Drug Administration of the Bangladesh Government.

Publications

Mahtab has compiled six books, namely ‘Liver: A Complete Book on Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases’, published by Elsevier (2009), ’Comprehensive Text Book on Hepatitis B’, published by Jaypee (2010), ‘Fatty Liver Disease’ (2012) and 'Hepatitis Management Update' (2015) published by McMillan and 'Text Book of Hepato-Gastroenterology' (2015) and 'Practical Hepato-Gastroenterology Prescriber' (2016) published by Jaypee.

He has more than 200 scientific publications, more than 300 conference abstracts and over 200 international and national conference talks to his credit.

He has published Bengali translations of 'White House Years: The Tilt-The India-Pakistan Crisis of 1971' by Dr. Henry Kissinger and 'Victory in Bangladesh' by Major General (Retd.) Lachman Singh. He contributes articles on socio-political and health related issues regularly to main stream news papers and online news portals of Bangladesh. He has recently published three Bengali books, namely ‘Shekal Ekaler Korcha’ ‘Ekhon Shomoy Bangladesher’ from Mawla Brothers and ‘Liver Chikitshae Notun Sombhabona’ from Mutkodhara, which are leading publication houses of the country. He is a Life Member of Bangla Academy.

Mahtab is serving on the Editorial Boards of several international journals in the fields of Hepatology and Gastroenterology including, Hepatology Internaional (journal of Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver), Euroasian Journal of Hepato-Gastroenterology (Journal of Euroasian Gastroenterological Association) and Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology (journal of Indian Association for the Study of the Liver).

He has received awards for scientific works from different major international bodies including the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO), Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL), International Association for the Study of the Liver (IASL), Euroasian Gastroenterological Association (EGA), Japan Society of Hepatology (JSH), Indian National Association for the Study of the Liver (INASL), Turkish Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatology Association (HEBIPA) and Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert (APPLE) Association.

He received the “Order of Merit” from Euroasian Gastroenterological Association in 2014, "Blumberg Oration 2015" conferred by Kalinga Gastroenterology Foundation, India, "Distinguished Scientist (Hepatology) Award" from Venus Research Foundation, India in 2016, “Albert Nelson Marquis Life Time Achievement Award 2018” from Marquis Who's Who and “Bishuddhananda Gold Medal” from Bangladesh Bouddha Krishty Prochar Songho in 2018. His name has been included in “Marquis Who’s Who of the World 2017”.

He is four times elected Secretary General of Association for the Study of the Liver Diseases Bangladesh (ASLDB) (the national Hepatology Association of Bangladesh). He is also founder President of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hepatology Alumni Association and Executive Chairman of Forum for the Study of the Liver Bangladesh.

He is the founder General Secretary of Bangladesh Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Society.

He has to his credit organizing several ‘first time in Bangladesh’ medical conferences including the first STEMCON in 2017 (1st international conference on stem cell therapy in Bangladesh) and first EndoVasculoCon in 2019 (1st live conference from endoscopy suit and vascular lab in the region).

Recently Professor Mahtab played key role in organizing the First Padma-Ganga-Gomti Liver Conference 2019 at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka. This is the first ever scientific conference of only Bengali Hepatologists. The conference was jointly organized by Forum for the Study of the Liver Bangladesh, Liver Foundation West Bengal and Hepatitis Foundation of Tripura. It was organized as a token of respect of the Bengali Hepatologists to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Father of the Nation of Bangladesh and the greatest Bengali of a thousand years on the occasion of his birth centennial. The second and third conferences will be organized in Shantiniketon and Agartala in March and August 2020 respectively.

Mahtab is the Vice President of Euroasian Gastroenterological Association, Secretary General of South Asian Association for the Study of the Liver (SAASL) and International Coordinator of Indian National Association for the Study of the Liver (INASL).

Mahtab is member of the APASL Working Parties on hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) and liver fibrosis. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Patient Registry of Hepatitis Free Pahang Society, Malaysia.

He is only Bangladeshi Hepatologists among the 150 eminent Hepatologists from all over the globe, who proclaimed June 12 as ‘International NASH Day’ through a joint deceleration released simultaneously from London, Paris and New York in 2018.

He is Member Secretary of Sampritee Bangladesh, Secretary General of Bangladesh Study Trust, Treasurer of Forum for Secular Bangladesh and Executive Member of Dhaka City North Awami League.

Mahtab comes from Sylhet. He is married to Dr. Nuzhat Choudhury. They have two children. His father late Mahtab Uddin Ahmed was an eminent civil engineer of Bangladesh. He served the Government of Bangladesh in the capacity of Chief Engineer, Roads & Highways Department. His mother Mrs. Ayesha Mahtab is a house wife.