A career measured in decades and data points
Dr. Mansur joined the Bangladesh Civil Service as an Assistant Secretary and, over 32 years, rose to serve as Senior Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, working across several ministries. In 2014 he stepped down voluntarily to focus on the work he found most urgent: climate change and environmental development.
His scientific training is in biochemistry, and it shows in how he approaches environmental problems — through laboratory rigor, water-quality data, and field testing rather than policy alone. He has spent years studying arsenic contamination in Bangladesh's drinking water, running laboratory and field programs, and validating the tools used to detect it. He continues to lead a small research program on climate change today.
"Three decades in government taught him what policy alone can't fix. So in 2014, he went back to the lab — and the water table."On leaving a Senior Secretary's desk for arsenic research
From public service to environmental research
Bangladesh Civil Service
Joined as Assistant Secretary after the BCS examination and served in senior positions across multiple government ministries, rising to Senior Secretary before voluntarily resigning in 2014.
Senior Research Analyst
Environmental Research and Development Center, Asia & Pacific (ERDC) — applied laboratory analysis to environmental and water-quality research.
Head of Microbiology
Green Well Engineering — led microbiological analysis of water and wastewater, including treatment plant operations and chemical dosing.
Voluntary resignation, Senior Secretary
Left government service to work directly on climate change and environmental development, alongside ongoing socio-economic development projects.
Climate change research program
Continues to lead a research program on climate change issues, working with a small team of resource persons.
Laboratory science, water quality & field systems
Instrumentation
- FT-IR spectroscopy
- HPLC (Waters)
- UV-visible spectrophotometry
- Potentiometric titration
- Shimadzu AAS — FAAS & HVGAAS models
Water & wastewater analysis
- Arsenic detection — ICP, TXRF, ASV methods
- Heavy metals: lead, chromium, mercury
- DO, BOD, COD interpretation
- pH, alkalinity, hardness, coliform testing
- Coagulation & break-point chlorination
Systems, standards & leadership
- ISO 17025 laboratory quality systems
- ISO 14001 environmental management
- Quantitative health risk assessment
- GPS field data recording
- Remote sensing & GIS in water management
- Management Development for Executives
Arsenic & drinking-water research
Assessed arsenic levels and physico-chemical water quality in production wells across more than 100 municipalities and pourashavas in Bangladesh.
Ran water-quality analysis in five arsenic-affected upazilas of Barisal district — Agailjhara, Gournadi, Jhalokati, Bandaria and Kotalipara — cross-checking field readings against laboratory results.
Monitored and evaluated a DFID rapid assessment of household-level arsenic mitigation technologies through on-site testing.
Validated arsenic field test kits from multiple manufacturers, comparing field performance in Manikganj against laboratory results.
Trained field staff as a resource person for the NGO Forum and DCH training center on arsenic testing in drinking water.