National Professor Dr Jamilur Reza Choudhury passed away in Dhaka early today. He was 77. He had a heart attack at home around sehri time, according to family sources.
Dr Choudhury was declared dead at Square Hospitals around 4:00am. He will be buried at Banani graveyard following his namaz-e-janaza after Zohr prayers.
Dr Choudhury was a renowned civil engineer and educationist.
He was the vice chancellor of University of Asia Pacific. He had been the president of Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee since 2003.
In 2017, he was awarded Ekushey Padak by the Government of Bangladesh in the category of science and technology.
Prof Choudhury was born in Sylhet and had his early education in Dhaka (St. Gregory's School and Dhaka College). He obtained the B.Sc. (Engg.), Civil, degree in 1963 (First Class First with Honours) from University of Engineering & Technology, Dhaka, M.Sc. Engineering Degree (Advanced Structural Engineering) and Ph. D. degree from University of Southampton in 1968.
Dr Choudhury joined the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) as a Lecturer in Civil Engineering in 1963 and was appointed a Professor of Civil Engineering in 1976.
He was Head of the Dept. of Civil Engineering (1978–79, 81–83), Dean of the Faculty (1983-85) and Director, Computer Centre (1982-1992). In March, 2001, he joined BRAC University as its first Vice Chancellor and relinquished the position on completion of nine years of his tenure.
He was awarded a Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship in 1974 and spent a year at the University of Surrey, UK, as a Visiting Associate Professor. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa) degree by Manchester University on 20th October, 2010.
Prof Choudhury had authored about 70 papers in international journals and conference proceedings related to inter alia tall buildings, low-cost housing, earthquake resistant design, cyclones and storm surges, retrofitting of structures, IT Applications and Policy.
He had acted as consultant to a large number of national and international agencies. He was a Member of Panel of Experts (advising the Government, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and OECF, Japan) for the Bangabandhu (Jamuna) Bridge; he headed the International Panel of Experts for Padma Bridge. He was the Team Leader for the Multipurpose Cyclone Shelter Programme and prepared the Master Plan for Cyclone Shelters in the coastal areas of Bangladesh.
He was a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers (Bangladesh) and was its President in 1992-93. He was also a Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) and was a Chartered Engineer, UK. He was a Fellow and former Vice President of the Bangladesh Computer Society. He was elected a Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences in 1999. He was the founder President of Bangladesh Earthquake Society. He was the Chairman of the Board of Accreditation for Engineering and Technical Education (BAETE), Bangladesh.
He was appointed Adviser (Minister) in the Non-Party Caretaker Government in April, 1996 and was in charge of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Water Resources.
He was Convener, Committee on Export of Software and Data Processing Services (1997), Convener, Committee for Formulation of IT Policy for Bangladesh (1999 and 2008), Convener, ICT in Higher Education Group formed by Ministry of Education (2005). He was a member of the IT Task Force headed by the Prime Minister (2001–09). In January, 2007, he was the Convener, Committee for Preparing Voter List with Photographs.
He received numerous awards during his illustrious career.
mj/
