IWM

Bishwarup Banik completed his Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Geology from the University of Dhaka in 2022 and Master of Science (MS) in Petroleum Geoscience and Engineering at the University of Dhaka, in 2023.

Bishwarup Banik has been serving as a Junior Hydrogeologist at the Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) under the Division of Irrigation, Groundwater & Wetland Management (IGW) since February 2026. With a strong academic background in geology and petroleum geoscience, complemented by hands-on experience in geophysical surveys, groundwater investigations, and subsurface characterization, he contributes to hydrological and groundwater studies that support sustainable water resources management in Bangladesh. His expertise includes Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), and Multi-Channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW), which he applied during his academic studies to aquifer delineation, groundwater quality assessment along the Cox's Bazar coastal belt, and slope stability evaluation in Rangamati. His technical skills support groundwater resource assessment, feasibility studies for water conservation, and the development of sustainable water management strategies that contribute to efficient irrigation planning and long-term water security.

Prior to joining IWM, he served as a Geology Intern at the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration & Production Company Limited (BAPEX) (February–May 2025), where he gained practical exposure to core sample description, mud-logging, well log integration, and drilling pressure monitoring at gas field boreholes. He has also worked as a Research Assistant at the Delta Study Center, University of Dhaka (January 2024 – December 2026), supporting research on sequence stratigraphy, reservoir potential evaluation, and basin-scale stratigraphic correlation in the Bengal Basin. His technical proficiency includes geoscience software (Petrel, Rockworks, tNavigator), GIS & remote sensing tools (ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, Google Earth Engine), and programming languages (Python, R) for data analysis.

Achievements:

• Grant Recipient: Nancy Setzer Murray Memorial Grant (2025), awarded by the AAPG Foundation Grant-In-Aid Committee to support advanced research for MS thesis work.
• Grant Recipient: L. Austin Weeks Undergraduate Grant Program (2021), given by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG).

Membership / Affiliation:

• Member – University of Dhaka AAPG Student Chapter (April 2019 – April 2021)
• Member – University of Dhaka Geophysical Society (April 2019 – April 2020)
• Member – SPE Dhaka University Student Chapter (April 2019 – March 2024)
• Social Activist Chairperson, SPE Dhaka University Chapter Executive Committee (2020–21)

• Assessment of water resources availability and lowest safe yield of aquifer in 10 districts of the North-Central Hydrological Regions of Bangladesh for effective implementation of Bangladesh Water Act, 2013 (Hydrological investigation & modelling of the state of surface and groundwater resources Component).
• Hydro Geological Survey & Studies for Preparation of Comprehensive Development Plan for Twelve Upazilas
• Geological and Hydrogeological Study for “Preparation of Strategic Plan for Barishal Metropolitan Area

• Research on Applying Sequence Stratigraphic Framework to Analyze Reservoir Potential in the Tertiary Succession Exposed in the Eastern Fold Belt, Bangladesh – Participated in interdisciplinary fieldwork for developing a sequence stratigraphic framework in the Bengal Basin; assisted in geological mapping, facies description, stratigraphic logging, and sample collection at Sitapahar and Bandarban anticlines (Department of Geology, University of Dhaka).
• Geological Mapping & Structural Analysis – Led integrated geological mapping surveys across the eastern fold belt of the Bengal Basin, including Sitakund, Rangamati, Khagrachari, and Inani, focusing on stratigraphic architecture, sedimentological frameworks, and facies interpretation.
• Geophysical Survey – Cox's Bazar Coastal Belt – Executed VES and ERT surveys to delineate aquifer geometry and evaluate groundwater quality parameters.
• Geophysical Survey – Rangamati – Collaborated on ERT and MASW surveys to characterize subsurface lithology and assess slope stability and landslide susceptibility.
• BAPEX Internship – Gas Field Borehole Analysis – Core sample analysis and interpretation from exploratory well; integration with well logs and lithological data for reservoir evaluation; mud-logging spot sample observation and drilling pressure monitoring.