Choudhury, Jamilur Reza

Choudhury, Jamilur Reza (1943–2020) a distinguished educationist, engineer, researcher, scientist, information technologist, National Professor and advisors to the caretaker government of Bangladesh.

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Jamilur Reza Choudhury

Jamilur Reza Choudhury was born on November 15, 1943 in Sylhet city. His father’s name is engineer Abid Reza Choudhury, and his mother is Hayatun Nescha Choudhury. Due to his father’s job, Jamilur Reza Choudhury spent his childhood in different places of the country. In 1957, he passed the Matriculation from St. Gregory’s High School and College, Dhaka, and in 1959, the Intermediate from Dhaka College. He received his BSc degree in Civil Engineering from Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (now bangladesh university of engineering and technologyBUET) in 1963. Jamilur Reza Choudhury completed his MSc in Advanced Structural Engineering in 1964 from the University of Southampton, England, and his Ph.D. research on ‘Shear Wall and Structural Analysis of High Rise Building’ from the same university in 1968. In 1975, he did post-doctoral research at the University of Surrey, UK, under a Nuffield Fellowship.

Jamilur Reza Choudhury started his professional career by joining as a Lecturer at the Department of Civil Engineering, BUET in 1963 and was appointed to Professor in 1976. He also served as Head of the Department of Civil Engineering (1978-1979 and 1981-1983), Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering (1983-1985), and Director of the BUET Computer Center (1982-1992). After retiring from teaching at BUET in 2001, Professor Choudhury joined as the first Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University and served until 2010. Under his creative and able leadership as Vice-Chancellor, BRAC University has grown into one of the leading private universities in Bangladesh. Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury joined the University of Asia Pacific as Vice-Chancellor in May 2012 and held the post till his death.

In addition to holding responsibilities in teaching and educational administration, Professor Choudhury has worked in many important projects as a consultant to both national and international organizations, including JICA and UNESCAP. The projects include skyscrapers, industrial buildings, transmission towers, aircraft hangars, stadiums, ports and jetties, and computerization projects of government and private institutions. 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 served as the Head of the International Expert Group of the Technical Committee of Padma Multipurpose Bridge, one of the longest in Bangladesh. Apart from this, Professor Choudhury was a consultant in the formulation and implementation of various mega projects of the country, including the first Dhaka Elevated Express Highway of Bangladesh, the Bangabandhu Tunnel of Karnaphuli River, Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway, etc. He was one of the members of the Steering Committee of the National Building Code of Bangladesh in 1993. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bangladesh Shilpa Bank (1996-1998) and Chairman of the Board of Governors of Bangladesh Institute of Technology, Chittagong (1997-2003).

Although he is well-known at home and abroad as a civil engineer, Jamilur Reza Choudhury has significantly contributed to the growth of Bangladesh’s Information Technology (ICT) sector. From 1997 to 2002, he was the Chairman of theTask Force on Software Export and IT Service Infrastructure Development, the Ministry of Commerce. Professor Choudhury also served as the convener of the ICT Policy Formulation Committee for Bangladesh (1999 and 2002), the Software Export and Data Processing Services Export Committee (1997), and the ICT Group in Higher Education of the Ministry of Education (2005). He was one of the members of the ICT Task Force (2001-2007) led by the Prime Minister of the Bangladesh government. He also served as the convener of the committee to prepare a voter list with photos for the Bangladesh Election Commission. Jamilur Reza Choudhury was a ranking member of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Building Digital Bangladesh.

Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury was actively associated with various professional and voluntary organizations in Bangladesh. He was President of the Bangladesh Engineers Institution (1992-1993); Bangladesh Earthquake Society; Bangladesh Computer Society; Bangladesh Environment Movement (BAPA); the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Alumni Association, and the Bangladesh Mathematics Olympiad Committee. He served as a trustee and then as Chairman of the Bangladesh Freedom Foundation (BFF), a non-profit voluntary organization dedicated to ending anonymity, eradicating poverty, and promoting freedom from oppression.

Professor Choudhury was appointed Adviser to the Non-Party Caretaker Government of Bangladesh in April 1996 and was in charge of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Water Resources.

More than 70 research papers of Dr. Choudhury have been published in national and international journals. His publications cover high-rise buildings, low-cost housing, earthquake-resistant design, cyclone and storm-tide-resistant structures, structural rehabilitation, computer applications, and ICT policy. It should be noted that Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury developed an easy and straightforward approach for analyzing the shear walls of high-rise buildings. This method is known as ‘Cull and Choudhury’s Method’ globally. This method is now used worldwide and included in civil engineering textbooks.

Professor Choudhury has received many awards, honors, and recognitions nationally and internationally for his outstanding contribution to science and technology education and research. His awards include Sheltech Award (2010); Bangladesh Engineering Institution Gold Medal (1998); Dr. Rashid Gold Medal (1997); Rotary Seed Award (2000); Lions International (District-315) Gold Medal, and JICA Recognition Award (2013). In 2018, Professor Choudhury was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun (Gold Ray and Neck Ribbon), the highest international award by the Government of Japan. He was awarded honorary fellowships by the institution of engineers (Bangladesh), Institution of Civil Engineers (UK), bangladesh academy of sciences, bangla academy, and asiatic society of bangladesh in recognition of his scholarship in civil engineering. Jamilur Reza Choudhury was awarded a Doctor of Engineering (Honorary) degree by the University of Manchester, UK, in 2010. It is to be noted that he is the first Bangladeshi who obtained this prestigious degree from a British university. In 2017, the Government of Bangladesh awarded him Ekushey Padak, Bangladesh’s second highest civilian honor, for his outstanding contribution to science and technology. In 2018, the government appointed Jamilur Reza Choudhury as the National Professor.

Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury was the advisor of the Bangladesh Block Chain Olympiad. In May 2020, Bangladesh Block Chain Olympiad Award was renamed ‘Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury Champions Award.’ In order to show respect for this legend in the world of civil engineering in Bangladesh, in April 2021, the name of Bangladesh Engineering University’s Civil Engineering Building was changed. It was named Jamilur Reza Choudhury Civil Engineering Building. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Alumni Association published a commemorative volume entitled Alor Pathyatri (Beacon of Light) in memory of Jamilur Reza Choudhury in 2023.

National Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury passed away on 28 April 2020 at the age of 77. [Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan]