Ahmed, Wahiduddin
Ahmed, Wahiduddin (1923-2018) a renowned civil engineer, educationist, administrator, and expert in technical education. He was born on 1 October 1923 in Pachani village of Mohanpur union of Matlab Uttar upazila in Chandpur.
Dr. Ahmed obtained his BSc degree from the University of Dhaka in 1943 and graduated in Civil Engineering from the Aligarh Muslim University in 1946; received Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California (Berkeley), USA in 1950 and obtained PhD degree from University of Wales, UK in 1962.
Professor Ahmed joined the then Ahsanullah Engineering College (now BUET) as an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering in 1951. He became Professor and Head of Civil Engineering in 1963 and Dean of Faculty of Engineering in 1966. He served as the founder Principal of the Chittagong Engineering College (now Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology) in 1967 and Principal of the Rajshahi Engineering College during 1968-1974. He became Director of Technical Education in 1974. He joined as the Vice-Chancellor of BUET on 25 April 1975, held the position till 25 April 1983. Professor Ahmed was a full-time member of the National Pay Commission in 1984. He was an Adviser to the caretaker government led by the then President justice shaabuddin ahmed from December 1990 to March 2001 and then became Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering at BUET. He also acted as the Vice-Chairman of the BITs Council during 1986-1993. He was the President of the Association of Bangladesh Universities; Member of the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities; Trustee, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand; Chairman of the National Educational Environment Committee; Member of Bangladesh National Commission for Co-operation with UNESCO; Member of the National Council of Science and Technology; Member of the Standing Committee of National Science and Technology; Chairman of the Association for Engineering Education in South and Central Asia (Bangladesh); Member of the Social Science Research Council; Member, University Grants Commission, Bangladesh; Member, Board of Governors, Administrative Staff College, Bangladesh.
Professor Ahmed was a Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (1975) and Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh. He was appointed a member of the Panel of Honorary Advisers of the Board of Trustees of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in recognition of his long and meritorious service to AIT as its Trustee for many years. He was actively associated with many social welfare organizations including the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh. He was Secretary General, President, and Ombudsman of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association. He had many publications in national and international journals to his credit.
Professor Ahmed attended the Conference of the Vice-Chancellors of the Commonwealth Universities in Hong Kong in 1981; Conference held in Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, during the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of AIT in April 1979; the 12th Quinquennial Congress of the Commonwealth Universities, Canada from 15 August 1978, to 31 August 1978; Conference of the Heads of the Commonwealth Universities in New Zealand in February 1976; UNESCO Regional Science Council Seminar on ‘Technicians Education and Training-Bangladesh’ 1979; Conference of the Heads of the Directorate of Technical Education in Singapore in March 1975; Seminar on International Intervisitation Programme of the Educational Administration in the UK, June-July, 1974; Seminar on Engineering Education in Bangkok, March 1965.
Professor Ahmed died on 3 November 2018, and was buried in his family graveyard in Matlab, Chandpur. [Yearul Kabir]
