Notable Alumni

Professor Dr. A M Harun ar Rashid has been one of the most prominent faculty members of the Department of Physics. He had been a lecturer in the department from 1955-62, served as a scientist at the Atomic Energy Commission (1962-1967), Professor of Theoretical Physics and Director, Institute of Physics, University of Islamabad (1967-71), a visiting scientist at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London (October, 1971 till September, 1972), Professor at the Department of Physics, of Dhaka University (1972-2001). He was also a Visiting Professor in Institute für Theoretische Kernphysik, Karlsruhe in 1963-64, a visiting scientist at the International Center for Theoretical Physics many times, at the Centre for Particle Theory, Department of Physics, University of Texas in Austin USA, in December 1975, and at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1991. His principle area of research had been theoretical high energy physics, besides theoretical condensed matter physics and mathematical physics. At the initiative of Professor Rashid, a new sister concern, the Department of Theoretical Physics was established in 1975 and operated for three years.

Professor Rashid has authored more than twenty undergraduate- and graduate-level textbooks on different branches of physics in both English and Bengali. These have played a major role in spreading education in the mother language of the Bengali people. Professor Rashid was awarded Ekushey Padak, the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, in 1991 for his contribution to education and in 2009 the Independence Award, the highest civilian award, for his outstanding contribution to science, his own scientific publications and overall impact of his all scholarly activities. He had been the founding directors of the “Bose Center of Advanced Study and Research in Natural Sciences” during 1974-78 and of the “Computer Center” the central computing facility of the university during 1985-89. He was elected as a TWAS Fellow in 1990 and was also appointed as the “Bose Professor” for 1992-95 and also a UGC Professor.