Haider, Syed Zahir

Syed Zahir Haider

Haider, Syed Zahir (1927-2008) an eminent educationist, chemist, and writer. He was born on 1 September 1927 in Dhaka. He graduated with Honours in Chemistry from Dhaka University and secured MSc from the same University in 1948. He obtained his PhD degree from the London University in 1958 and in the same year, DIC from Imperial College (London) in analytical and Inorganic Chemistry, and FRSC from the Royal Society of Chemistry, London in 1967 for ‘original contribution in Chemistry.

He started his career as Lecturer in Chemistry at Jagannath College, Dhaka and thereafter at Dhaka University in 1949. He became a permanent Lecturer in Chemistry at Dhaka University in the same year. Professor Haider was appointed Reader in Chemistry, Dhaka University, in 1961 and was the first Head of the Department of Chemistry of Chittagong University (1968-1970). He became a Professor of Chemistry at Dhaka University in 1970 and has served Dhaka University for over fifty years. He was appointed to the distinguished Chair of Professor Mukarram Hussain Khundkar Professorship in Chemistry at Dhaka University (1986-1992). He acted as the Director of Bose Centre for Advanced Study and Research, Faculty of Science, Dhaka University (1978-1989). He was Chairman of the Department of Chemistry, Dhaka University (1982-1985). Dr. Haider had training in Radioisotope Tracer Techniques at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, England, and in Mineralogy at the Royal School of Mines, London. He was a DAAD Senior Visiting Scientist at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Stuttgart University, Germany, and the Swedish Institute, Stockholm.

Professor Haider was awarded the first HP Roy Gold Medal for his contribution to Chemistry in 1961 and the First Bangladesh Academy of Sciences Gold Medal in the Senior Group of Physical Sciences in 1982. He was also awarded Honorary DSc degree in 1982 from the University of Nonformal Education, India.

He has published more than 250 research papers in the national and international journals of Chemistry and general sciences, mainly in the fields of metal borates and aminoborates, metal phosphates, organoboron compounds, industrial products, inorganic ion-exchange materials, coordination chemistry, and structures of complexes of biological significance such as metal complexes of saccharine, vitamins and drugs. Dr. Haider’s research covered inorganic, analytical coordination, nuclear and environmental chemistry. He made valuable contributions to the Chemistry of Water Hyacinth, such as in pollution control, biomass and biogas, fertilizer, paper, board production, etc. He published several monographs, textbooks, and reference books on Chemistry.

Dr. Haider was the Founding Secretary of the Pakistan Association of Scientists and Scientific Profession (PASSP), East Pakistan Section 1963-1967. He was the Founding Editor of the Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (1977), Chief Editor of the Journal of the Bangladesh Chemical Society. Editor, Dhaka University Studies from 1980 to 1988. He was also a Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Islamic Academy of Sciences, Ankara, Turkey, and Bangladesh Quest, Journal of Bangladesh Chemical Society, and Journal of BAAS.

He was a Fellow of the Chemical Society, London since 1950 and became an Associate of the Royal Institute of Chemistry, London in 1955. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London in 1967, Founding Fellow of the Islamic Academy of Sciences, Amman, Jordan (1986), and Council Member (1994-1999). He was a Fellow and Council Member of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences. He was a Life Member, latter on a Fellow of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (1997), and vice president for two years. Prof. Haider was elected President of the Bangladesh Environmental Society (1998-2000). He was a Life Member and the President of the Bangladesh Chemical Society, and an Executive Committee Member of the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies. He was also a Council member of the Bangladesh Association for the Advancement of Science, also a Council Member of BAS. He was the Chairman of the Environmental Chemistry Group of FACS, Kuala Lumpur.

Professor Haider had been a Member of the Senate of Jahanginagar and Dhaka Universities. He had been a Member of the Syndicate of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka. He was the National Coordinator of the Commonwealth Science Council, London Project CREN (Chemical Research and Environmental Needs).

Professor Dr. Syed Zahir Haider expired on 23 August 2008 in his residence in Dhaka. [Yearul Kabir]