Choudhury, Naiyyum
Choudhury, Naiyyum (1946-2019) a biotechnologist and nuclear scientist, eminent educationist and administrator. He was born in Comilla, on 27 September 1946.
Naiyyum Choudhury did his BSc (Hons.) and MSc in Biochemistry in 1966 and 1967 respectively, from the university of dhaka. He went to Canada in 1970 with Commonwealth Scholarship and was enrolled as a PhD student in the Department of Biochemistry at McGill University. But he denounced the Commonwealth scholarship, opting to participate in the Liberation War of Bangladesh, and returned home. Later on, Professor obtained his PhD in Biotechnology at the University of New South Wales, Australia, in 1982. He was one of the first among four EEC (European Economic Community) fellowship holders to carry on Post-doctoral research in 1988-1989 at the Institute of Hygiene and Toxicology, University of Karlsruhe, Germany.
In his professional carrier he first joined the then Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in 1968 as a Scientific Officer, became (Member, Bioscience) of the BANGLADESH ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION in 1997, and its Chairman in 2002; continued this position till 2003, when he retired.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was simultaneously a part-time teacher at the Department of Zoology, jahangirnagar university and Department of Chemical bangladesh university of engineering and technology (BUET). He taught Microbiology at the University of Dhaka since 1982 and was actively involved in establishing the department. He joined the same Department as a full-time Professor and Chairman in 1993. He was a guest Professor and, then, a part-time teacher in the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka. He has served BRAC University as Professor and Coordinator of Biotechnology and Microbiology Programmes since 2005.
For his outstanding contributions to science, He received the Bangladesh Journalists' Association Award, 2000, and Zaki Memorial Gold Medal, 2000. He was awarded the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences Dr. MO Ghani Gold Medal in 2002 for his outstanding contributions to science and technology.
He was as a Member of the Academic Council and Senate of the University of Dhaka. He was also a Senate Member of Jahangirnagar University during 2000-2003, and National University during 1999-2001. He was a Syndicate member of the BUET in 2003. Naiyyum Choudhury held many vital positions in the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission before becoming its Member and Chairman. He was Director of the Institute of Food and Radiation Biology; Director of Biosciences, and Director of Planning and Development and International Affairs Division. He was the National Coordinator for Regional Cooperative Agreement (RCA) of the IAEA for Research, Training, and Development in peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology in East Asia and the Pacific region consisting of 17 Member States and was elected its Chairman in the 30th General Conference of the RCA held in Vienna on 15-16 September for two years, being only scientist from Bangladesh to hold this prestigious position.
Naiyyum Choudhury was a member of the National Biotechnology Committee formed by the Government of Bangladesh in 1993. He was the Convener of the Committee for formulating the National Biotechnology Policy 2005. He was actively involved in developing a concept paper for a Biotechnology Institute. He was the founder Project Director of the National Institute of Biotechnology (NIB), established at Ganokbari, Savar. He was involved in drafting the National Bio-safety Guidelines in 1999 and 2005 and was also a member of the government's Biosafety Core Committee (BCC). He was the Convener of the Committee for the formulation of the National Science and Technology Policy, 2011 of the Government of Bangladesh and Advisor to the Committee on the formulation of the Action Plan of the Policy. He was a Member of the Executive Committee of the National Council for Science and Technology (ECNCST). Naiyyum Choudhury was also a Member of the Advisory Committee of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.
He had been intimately connected with many national and international scientific bodies. He was elected President of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Scientists Association (BAESA) for two consecutive terms. He became a member of the New York Academy of Science and the British Society for Applied Bacteriology in 1989. He was President of several other scientific professional bodies including the Bangladesh Association of Scientists and Scientific Professions (BASSP), Bangladesh Biochemical Society, Bangladesh Tissue Banking Association, Bangladesh Society of Microbiologists (BSM), and Bangladesh JSPS Alumni Association. He was the founder General Secretary of the Bangladesh Association of Quebec, Canada - the first Bangladesh Association formed in North America on 7 March 1971. He was elected and re-elected Secretary of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences for 2004-2011. He served as the founding Chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) and Vice-President of BAS at the time of his death.
He made significant scientific contributions to food microbiology, microbial biotechnology, food irradiation, and other peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He has published more than 150 scientific papers in national and international journals.
Naiyyum Choudhury passed away on 7 September 2019 and was buried at Banani graveyard in the capital. [Yearul Kabir]
