Kazi Saiful Islam
Professor
Email:
saiful@urp.ku.ac.bd
Contact:
Cell and WhatsApp: +880-1671-665533
Address:
Room # 1418, Academic Building # 1, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh
Dr. Islam is a Professor of Urban and Rural Planning at Khulna University. He has received both Masters of Engineering and Doctor of Engineering degrees from the Department of Urban Engineering at the University of Tokyo, Japan. His research interest includes the application of quantitative geospatial methods to urban complexity. He is a certified geospatial educator.
Apart from being an academician, he is a prominent professional urban planner and geospatial expert. He has contributed to many vital projects in Bangladesh (in different capacities), like Dhaka Detailed Area Plan, Khulna Detailed Area Plan, Benapole-Jessore corridor project, etc.
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Doctor of Engineering (Urban Engineering) October 2007 – September 2010
The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
–
Dissertation: Improvement of
Hedonic Regression Based on Unknown Spatial Variable Search: A Heuristic Search
Approach
– Awarded: 27 September 2010
–
Thematic Areas: Spatial
Econometrics, Housing Market Segmentation, Spatial Statistics, GIS
Master of Engineering
(Urban Engineering) — Research-Based April 2005 – March 2007
The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
–
Dissertation: Household
Mobility due to Income Disparity: A Threshold Perspective
– GPA: 4.00 / 4.00 (Distinction — all A grades) | Awarded: 22 March 2007
–
Thematic Areas: Order
Restricted Statistics, Housing Rent Modelling, Urban Poverty
Bachelor of Urban and
Rural Planning (BURP) 1997 – 2003
Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
– Dissertation: Spatial Distribution of Urban Poverty: A Study of Khulna City
– CGPA: 3.78 / 4.00 — 76.06% (Distinction) | Awarded: 15 January 2003
My general interests are in the area of application of quantitative geospatial methods in broader urban complexity. I am also interested about
- Geographic Information System
- Remote Sensing
- Photogrammetry
- Machine Learning in LULC modeling
- Land use planning
Current Research Project/Collaboration
| SL | Title | Research Role | Awarded Date | Completion Date | Funding Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Localizing Land Degradation Neutrality Targets: Capturing Local Perspective through Geospatial Insights for Southwest Coastal Restoration in Bangladesh | Principal Investigator | July, 2025 | June, 2027 | International |
| 2 | Development of Standards for Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) for Bangladesh: Piloting Spatial Information of Khulna City, Bangladesh | Principal Investigator | 2014 | 2015 | National |
| 3 | Modeling Threshold for the neighborhood mobility due to concentrated poverty: A study of Khulna city, Bangladesh | Principal Investigator | 2011 | 2012 | National |
| 4 | Spatially Disintegrated Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment of Khulna City: A GIS Based Approach | Principal Investigator | 2013 | 2015 | National |
| 5 | Potential Impact assessment of Rampal coal based power plant project on the Sundarbans | Co-Principal Investigator | 2014 | 2015 | National |
ACADEMIC CAREER
Director, Planning and
Development Division November 2024 – Present
Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
–
Responsible for planning and
execution of all development activities of Khulna University.
–
Prepares and administers
project proposals for national and international funding agencies.
–
Serves as Secretary of the
statutory Planning and Development Committee.
–
Oversees procurement
processes and maintains the University's academic and physical master plan.
Professor (Grade-2) of
Urban and Regional Planning November 2015 – Present
Urban and Rural Planning Discipline, Khulna University,
Bangladesh
–
Teaching advanced
courses in GIS (fundamental and advanced), Remote Sensing, Urban Analysis Techniques,
Housing, Statistics, Engineering Surveying, and Regional Planning at
undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
–
Supervising MSc and
undergraduate dissertation research in spatial sciences, urban planning, and
housing studies.
–
Developing and updating
course packs and conducting professional development training for local
government officials and NGO workers.
Head of the Discipline April 2019 – December 2021
Urban and Rural Planning Discipline, Khulna University,
Bangladesh
–
Provided strategic academic
and administrative leadership to the discipline, advancing its research profile
and programme quality.
–
Represented the
discipline on the School of Science, Engineering and Technology and the Board
of Advanced Studies (BOAS).
–
Chaired the Academic
and Planning Committee; oversaw accreditation and quality-assurance processes.
–
Developed governance
structures for faculty management, student welfare, and external partnerships.
Associate Professor March 2011 – November 2015
Urban and Rural Planning Discipline, Khulna University,
Bangladesh
Visiting Research Fellow 2010 – 2011
Center for Spatial Information Science (CSIS), The
University of Tokyo, Japan
–
Engaged in research on
urban residential mobility and spatial information science.
–
Contributed to the
Centre's research on land use harmonization.
–
Provided academic
mentorship to doctoral and postdoctoral researchers.
Collaborative Research
Fellow 2007 – 2010
Center for Spatial Information Science (CSIS), The
University of Tokyo, Japan
–
Conducted research on
urban residential mobility under Dr. Yasushi Asami.
–
Delivered seminars on
Spatial Statistics and Spatial Econometrics.
Assistant Professor December 2006 – March 2011
Urban and Rural Planning Discipline, Khulna University,
Bangladesh
Assistant Proctor June 2004 – March 2005
Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
Lecturer December 2003 – December 2006
Urban and Rural Planning Discipline, Khulna University,
Bangladesh
SELECTED CONSULTANCY EXPERIENCE
Senior Urban Planner (November 2012)
Client: Khulna Development Authority (KDA), Khulna, Bangladesh
Brief of the project: Preparation of Detailed Area Development Plan (DADP) for Khulna Master Plan (2001) Area funded by Khulna Development Authority and Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
GIS Expert (April, 2015)
Client: Capital Development Authority (RAJUK), Bangladesh
Brief of the project: Preparation of Detailed Area Development Plan (2016-2035) for DMDP Area funded by RAJUK and Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
No Data Available
Supervision
| SL | Title | Degree | Role | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Supervision Available | |||||
No Data Available
coming soon...
Award-Winning Paper
Islam, Kazi Saiful, & Karim, Md. Rezaul (2004).
Small-scale private real estate business — challenges to sustainable
development: a case study of Khulna City, Bangladesh. 9th Annual Asian Real
Estate Conference, New Delhi, India, 9–12 August 2004. [Best Paper Award — USD
1,000]
Book Chapters
(International Publishers)
Islam, Kazi Saiful (2024). The price of a roof: how rental
stress is fuelling hidden homelessness in Khulna City, Bangladesh. In
Chatterjee, U., Sivaramakrishnan, L., Ghosh, R., Shaw, R., & Mukherjee, J.
(Eds.), Homelessness to Hope: Research, Policy and Global Perspectives (pp.
171–185). Elsevier. ISBN: 978-0-443-14052-5.
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-14052-5.00009-4
Islam, Kazi Saiful (2022). Environmental sensitivity of
planning practices in Bangladesh vis-à-vis the evolution of planning theories:
a case study on the thermal power plant at Rampal. In Hussain, A., Tiwari, K.,
& Gupta, A. (Eds.), Addressing Environmental Challenges Through Spatial
Planning. IGI Global. ISBN: 9781799883319.
Murtaza, M. G., & Islam, Kazi Saiful (2004). Impact of
the construction of Padma Bridge on the tourism industry of Bangladesh. In
Karim, M. R. (Ed.), Dream of Padma Bridge and the Development of Southwestern
Bangladesh (pp. 21–25). Urban and Rural Planning Discipline, Khulna University.
Peer-Reviewed Journal
Articles
Biswas, N., Islam, K. S., Efty, E. A., Das, S., Pathan, A.
M., & Ferdaus, R. (2026). Ensemble deep learning framework for landslide
susceptibility mapping and road vulnerability index development in the
Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk, 17(1).
https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2026.2634207
Islam, S. M. T., & Islam, K. S. (2026). The impact of
setbacks on solar access: a GIS-based shadow analysis in Khulna's
neighbourhood. Discover Cities, 3, 2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44327-025-00156-1
Islam, D., Li, B., Islam, K. S., Ahsan, R., Mia, R., &
Haque, M. E. (2022). Airbnb rental price modelling based on Latent Dirichlet
Allocation and MESF-XGBoost composite model. Machine Learning with
Applications, 7, 100208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mlwa.2021.100208
Hasan, M. Z., Leya, R. S., & Islam, K. S. (2022).
Comparative assessment of machine learning algorithms for land use and land
cover classification using multispectral remote sensing image. Khulna
University Studies, Special Issue, 33–46.
https://doi.org/10.53808/KUS.2022.ICSTEM4IR.0124-se
Rahman, M. A., Islam, K. S., Siam, S. I., & Islam, S.
(2022). Spatiotemporal change of land use land cover: a case study of
Narayanganj Sadar Upazila, Bangladesh. Khulna University Studies, Special
Issue, 233–243. https://doi.org/10.53808/KUS.2022.ICSTEM4IR.0017-se
Rakibuzzaman, M., & Islam, K. S. (2022). A narrative
review of the use of fractal geometry in various aspects of urban planning.
Khulna University Studies, Special Issue, 219–232. https://doi.org/10.53808/KUS.2022.ICSTEM4IR.0011-se
Islam, M. D., Islam, K. S., Ahsan, R., Mia, R., &
Haque, M. D. (2021). A data-driven machine learning-based approach for urban
land cover change modelling: a case of Khulna City Corporation area. Remote
Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 24, 100634.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2021.100634
Mia, M. R., Islam, K. S., & Islam, M. D. (2021).
Automatic building footprint extraction from high-resolution stereo satellite
image. Planplus: A Journal of Planning, Development, Urbanization and
Environment, 11, 17–28. https://doi.org/10.54470/planplus.v11i1.2
Hussain, F., & Islam, K. S. (2021). Classification of
cities based on land use land cover heterogeneity: a case study of Bangladesh.
Journal of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, 13, 1–16.
Saha, A., & Islam, K. S. (2020). Assessing the impact
of Cyclone Sidr and Aila on the Sundarbans and its current recovery status
using remotely sensed imagery. Khulna University Studies, 16(1 & 2), 1–16.
https://doi.org/10.53808/KUS.2019.16.1&2.6.1810-E&T
Howlader, A. S., & Islam, K. S. (2020). Nexus between
light pollution and air temperature: a study of Bangladesh. Journal of
Bangladesh Institute of Planners, 11, 1–9.
Tabassum, F., Morshed, M. M., Sydunnaher, S., & Islam,
K. S. (2019). Are we undercounting poverty? Targeting poor for development
intervention in Khulna City. Planplus: A Journal of Planning, Development,
Urbanization and Environment, 9, 1–16.
Saikat, S. S., & Islam, K. S. (2019). Modelling land
use land cover (LULC) change using cellular automata–Markov model: a case of
Khulna City, Bangladesh. Jahangirnagar University Planning Review, 17, 17–31.
Sydunnaher, S., Islam, K. S., & Morshed, M. M. (2018).
Spatiality of a multidimensional poverty index: a case study of Khulna City,
Bangladesh. GeoJournal, 84, 1403–1416.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-018-9941-9
Siddque, M. N. I., Islam, K. S., & Habib, M. (2018).
Practice of higher education pedagogy in Bangladesh: opportunities and
challenges. Bangladesh Journal of Extension Education, 30(2), 71–78.
Sydunnaher, S., Islam, K. S., & Jebunnessa (2018). Slum
dwellers' understanding of their rights and accessibility to public services: a
case study of Khulna City. The Jahangirnagar Review, Part II: Social Science,
XXXIX, 159–167.
Rehan, S. M. T. I., & Islam, K. S. (2015). Analysis of
building shadow in urban planning: a review. Jahangirnagar University Planning
Review, 16, 11–22.
Islam, M. S., & Islam, K. S. (2013). Application of
thermal infrared remote sensing to explore the relationship between land
use–land cover changes and urban heat island effect: a case study of Khulna
City. Journal of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, 6, 49–60.
Islam, K. S., & Swapan, S. H. (2013). Impact of
volatile industrialisation on urbanisation and internal city structure: a study
of Khulna City, Bangladesh. Planplus, 6, 81–96.
Islam, K. S., & Asami, Y. (2012). Influence of poverty
on internal household mobility pattern of a city: a case study of Khulna City,
Bangladesh. Journal of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, 5, 37–57.
Islam, K. S., & Asami, Y. (2011). Addressing structural
instability in housing market segmentation of the used houses of Tokyo, Japan.
Procedia — Social and Behavioral Sciences, 21, 33–42.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.07.021
Islam, K. S., & Asami, Y. (2009). Housing market
segmentation: a review. Review of Urban and Regional Development Studies,
21(2–3), 93–109. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-940X.2009.00161.x
Islam, K. S. (2009). Challenges of urban planning at the
face of counter-urbanisation. Theoretical and Empirical Research in Urban
Management, 2(11).
Swapan, S. H., Islam, K. S., & Ahmed, S. (2006).
Spatial dimension of urban poverty. Planplus, 4, 119–135.
Islam, K. S., & Karim, R. (2006). The impact of the
small-scale real estate business on the urbanisation patterns of third world
cities. RICS Research Paper Series, 6(3). Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors, London.
Islam, K. S., & Akther, M. S. (2006). City structure
models and location of lower income settlements: the context of Khulna City,
Bangladesh. International Symposium on Urban Planning 2006, Taipei, Taiwan,
13–30.
Islam, K. S., & Rahman, K. R. (2003). Effects of the
increase of two-stroke three-wheelers on the urbanisation pattern of Khulna
City, Bangladesh. JPWK — Journal of Urban and Regional Planning, 14(2), 39–48.
Karim, R., & Islam, K. S. (2003). Shrimp culture around
the Sundarbans and its effects on land agriculture, livestock and poultry. In
The Sundarbans: The Largest Mangrove Forest of the Earth (pp. 18–24). Khulna
University.
Keynote Addresses
Islam, Kazi Saiful (2024, 26–27 June). Thematic Session 4:
Innovations and Smart Cities. Urban Resilience Forum, BICC, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Islam, Kazi Saiful (2023, 23–25 September). Translating
global climate change commitments into local action through spatial planning.
Third International Conference on Urban and Regional Planning (ICURP 2023), Pan
Pacific Sonargaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Conference Papers
Hosen, K., & Islam, K. S. (2019). Simulating the impact
of setback, floor area ratio (FAR) and maximum ground coverage (MGC) rules on
urban living environment: an airflow modelling perspective. Proceedings of the
First International Conference on Urban and Regional Planning, Bangladesh
Institute of Planners, Dhaka, 5–6 October 2019, pp. 53–62.
Islam, K. S., & Asami, Y. (2011). Addressing structural
instability in housing market segmentation of the used houses of Tokyo, Japan.
STGIS 2011 — International Conference on Spatial Thinking and Geographic
Information Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Islam, K. S. (2009). Housing market segmentation: spatial
variable search perspective. S4 International Conference on Emergence in
Geographical Space: Concepts, Methods and Models, Paris, France, 23–25 November
2009.
Islam, K. S. (2009). Urban sustainability in a declining
era: challenges and response. CIB-W101 & University of Tokyo GCOE Workshop,
Tokyo, Japan, 21 June 2009.
Islam, K. S., & Asami, Y. (2008). Neighbourhood
mobility due to poverty: a threshold perspective. ACSP–AESOP Joint Congress,
Chicago, Illinois, USA, 6–11 July 2008.
Islam, K. S., & Asami, Y. (2008). Review of literature
and future research direction: housing market segmentation perspective. 10th
Summer Institute, Pacific Regional Science Conference Organization, Dhaka,
Bangladesh, 15–16 May 2008.
Islam, K. S., & Hasan, M. U. (2007). Addressing the
issue of rural land use in disaster management policy: a case study of
southwestern coastal areas of Bangladesh. First International Conference of
Bangladesh Regional Science Association, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 17–18 March 2007.
Islam, K. S., & Asami, Y. (2007). Neighbourhood
mobility due to poverty: a threshold perspective. UPE 7 — 7th International
Conference on Urban Planning and Environment, Bangkok, Thailand, 3–5 January
2007.
Islam, K. S., & Akther, M. S. (2006). City structure
models and location of lower income settlements. International Symposium on
Urban Planning 2006, Taipei, Taiwan.
Siddque, N. I., & Islam, K. S. (2013). Enrolment trend
of Khulna University: regionalisation? An analysis based on students' place of
origin. International Conference on Academic Enhancement, 18 June 2013, pp.
43–54.
Poster Presentations
Islam, K. S., Portugal, J., Blakeney, J., & Sangsanont,
J. (2010). Perspectives on CSR in Japan. Coca-Cola Young Environmental Leaders
Summit 2010, Hokkaido, Japan, 19–23 August 2010.
Islam, K. S. (2009). Livelihoods of the southwestern
coastal areas of Bangladesh: vulnerable to climatic change and natural
disaster. 5th Urban Research Symposium on Cities and Climate Change, Marseille,
France, 28–30 June 2009.
Urban Analysis Technique
Planning
is all about analyzing data to extract information for decision-making. This
course will pave the way to enable students to analyze landuse, land value,
urban character, demography etc. |
Urban Analysis Technique (FW/Studio)
This is the sessional part of URP 2221. |
Geographic Information System
Planning
involves data collection, analysis, and decision-making. Since “physical determinism”
is still considered as one of the major determinants of planning, geospatial
data plays a vital role in physical planning. For production, analysis and decision making,
planners need to know about Geographic Information System (GIS).
The course is designed to familiarize
students with the concept of geographic data and GIS, process of inputting
geo-data, storage and management of data and modelling, application of GIS in
the real-world studies. Lectures cover the basics of GIS, vector and raster
data models, geographic data analysis, visualization techniques and geographic
overlay. Importantly, the focus of this course is in the application of GIS to
solving real world problems. |
Geographic Information System (Lab/Studio)
This is the sessional part of URP 2261. |
Remote sensing and Photogrammetry
Modern
planners need to deal with huge amount of spatial data. Production of these
data is often expensive and time consuming. Using remotely sensed images we can
acquire data of large areas. Therefore this course offers remote sensing
techniques and photogrammetry as the part of decision support system for
planning. This course will be conducted simultaneously with the sessional part. |
Remote sensing and Photogrammetry (Lab/Studio)
This is the sessional part of URP 3261. |
Statistics for Planners
Description: Basics of statistics, Qualitative and Quantitative methods of
statistics, Sampling techniques, sample size and sample analysis, Basic
concepts of probability, Normal probability distributions, Basics of Hypothesis Testing, Inferences from
two samples, Goodness-of-Fit, Contingency tables, Chi-square tests, ANOVA, Correlation
and Regression.
Rationale: Statistics is a basic tool of analysis able to effectively conduct
research. It is concerned with the collection, analysis, and interpretation of
data, as well as the effective communication and presentation of results
relying on data. It is extremely important for a researcher to know what
statistics they want to use before they collect their data. Otherwise data
might be collected that is uninterruptable. To do well in statistics one must
develop and use formal logical thinking abilities that are both high level and
creative. To study statistics are to be able to effectively conduct research,
to be able to read and evaluate journal articles, to further develop critical
thinking and analytic skills. Course Objectives: ·
Motivate
in students an intrinsic interest in statistical thinking. ·
Instill
the belief that Statistics is important for scientific research.
· Provide a foundation and motivation for exposure to statistical ideas subsequent to the course. Learning outcomes: Demonstrate the ability to apply fundamental concepts in exploratory data analysis. Design studies for obtaining data whilst avoiding common design flaws that incur bias, inefficiency and confounding. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts of probability and random variables Interpret and analyze classical inference involving confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, data displayed in a two-way table, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Apply and interpret basic of modeling techniques
for bi-variate data and use inferential methods in the context of simple linear
models with normally distributed errors. |
Statistics for Planners
Aims:
This course aims to introduce the
basics of Statistics. It discusses the importance of statistics in planning and
urgency of statistics in every sphere of planning. This course mainly focuses
on data collection methods, data processing, data analyzing tool and
interpreting those data in order make decision.
Course
Objectives The
objectives of this course are as follows: ·
To understand the meaning of statistics, data,
variable and information ·
To explain the division of statistics with respect to
different kinds of data ·
To interpret ideas of population versus sample, random
variables, and techniques of descriptive statistics ·
To calculate and interpret measures of central
tendency and dispersion, including mean, median, standard deviation, and
quartiles ·
To demonstrate skills in revealing the characteristics
of normal distributions. ·
To describe and identify the characteristics of
different numerical distributions. ·
To explain the relevance of statistics in different
kinds of planning activities. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) At the end
of the course the students will be able to- ·
Demonstrate the basic principles of describing and
presenting data; ·
Explain the role of statistics in different brunches
of urban planning;
·
Describe and compute different measures of central
tendencies and dispersion. |
Statistics for Planners -II
Planners need statistics for decision making.
Along with previous course (URP 1251: Statistics for Planners - I), this course
is aimed at enabling students with greater quantitative decision making. The
course is designed for the Second year students of Urban and Rural Planning
Discipline. This course is designed to introduce student to the concepts of
statistics and enable them with skills that they can use in their daily life.
Students should have basic knowledge about elementary mathematics. It is also assumed that the students have basic web browsing ability and should be able to deal with some softwares like MS Office suits. Intended
Learning Outcomes (ILOs) After completion of the course, students are expected
- 1.
to recognize, examine, and interpret the basic
principles of indexing multivariate data; 2.
to acquire critical thinking skills including analysis
and application in the field of Urban and Rural Planning. 3.
to apply probability and hypothesis tests in solving
planning related problems. 4.
to perform and interpret simple univariate, bivariate
and multivariate statistical procedures using computer software. |
Quantitative Methods, Analysis & Techniques
Statistics is a major stream of knowledge that is used by planners to extract information from data and make decision out of it. Statistics is concerned with the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, as well as the effective communication and presentation of results. To do well in statistics one must develop and use formal logical thinking abilities. . This course is developed assuming that the student have completed the MURP 5151 course. It is assumed that the students have prior knowledge about undergraduate level statistics. Students should also have basic knowledge about elementary mathematics. In reality, most of the data that we use are multivariate in nature. The course will introduce a number of techniques (including both generalization of univariate methods and continuous multivariate data) that the student will be able to use in decision-making. This course will introduce not only theoretical aspect of statistics but also its application. Learning Outcome Overall aim of the course is to familiarize students with the ideas and methodology of certain multivariate methods together with their application in data analysis. Upon completion of the course, the students will be able to - 1. Derive key properties of the multivariate normal distribution and apply these to the analysis of multivariate data. 2. Use contingency tables to test hypotheses and estimate effect sizes for a variety of multivariate models. 3. Apply planning statistical analysis in support of planning problem analysis. 4. Develop critical thinking skills necessary to compete in the planning profession. |
- Urban Analysis Technique
- Urban Analysis Technique (FW/Studio)
- Geographic Information System
- Geographic Information System (Lab/Studio)
- Remote sensing and Photogrammetry
- Remote sensing and Photogrammetry (Lab/Studio)
- Statistics for Planners
- Statistics for Planners
- Statistics for Planners -II
- Quantitative Methods, Analysis & Techniques