National Professor Dr Jamilur Reza Choudhury passed away in Dhaka this morning. He was 77. He suffered a heart attack at home, then he was brought to a city hospital at 4:30 a.m. and he breathed his last at around 5 a.m. at the emergency, local media reported citing his family sources.
Jamilur Reza Choudhury was a renowned civil engineer and educationist. He was also a former adviser to the caretaker government of Bangladesh in 1996, and was the Vice-Chancellor of University of Asia Pacific.
Prof Choudhury was awarded Ekushey Padak by the government in the science and technology category in 2017. The government appointed him National Professor in 2018. He was also awarded a Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship in 1974 and spent a year at the University of Surrey, UK, as a Visiting Associate Professor.
Prof Choudhury is survived by his wife Selina Choudhury, daughter Charisma Farheen Choudhury and son Kaashif Reza Choudhury.
President Md. Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have expressed deep shock at the death of Dr Choudhury and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul.
In a condolence message, the PM said Dr Jamilur Reza Choudhury, as an eminent engineer, played an important role in the country’s infrastructural development. She recalled with profound respect the outstanding contributions of Dr Choudhury to different development projects including Bangabandhu Bridge, Padma Multipurpose Bridge, Dhaka Elevated Expressway and Karnaphuli Tunnel in which he led the expert panels. Sheikh Hasina prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved family.
Jamilur Reza Choudhury was born in Sylhet and had his early education in Dhaka (St Gregory's School and Dhaka College). He obtained BSc degree (Civil Engineering) in 1963 from the then East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology (now BUET) and MSc (Advanced Structural Engineering) and PhD from University of Southampton in 1968.
Dr Choudhury joined East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology as a lecturer in Civil Engineering in 1963 and was appointed a professor at BUET in 1976.
He was Head of the Department 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.
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 Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa) degree by Manchester University in October, 2010. Dr Choudhury had authored about 70 papers in international journals and conference proceedings.
He had acted as consultant to many 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). He was the Chairman of the Board of Accreditation for Engineering and Technical Education, Bangladesh.
He was appointed adviser to the caretaker government in April, 1996 and was in charge of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Water Resources.
