Haque, AKM Aminul
Haque, AKM Aminul (1929-2022) was an educationist, marine biologist and National Professor. He was born on 2 July 1929, at the Village Charjamail, Upazila Husainpur, District Kishoreganj. His father was Ashraf Ahmed, and his mother was Ameena Ashraf.
Aminul Haque has had a remarkably brilliant academic career. He passed the Matriculation examination with first division from Calcutta University in 1946, securing 10th position in combined merit list and 1st position among the Muslim students. Haque passed his ISc in first division in 1948; BSc from Dhaka University in 1950 obtaining first position with distinction; MSc from Panjab University in 1952 holding first class first position. He received his PhD degree from the University of Nottingham in 1957 and availed SEATO Post-doctoral Fellowship at Tokyo University from 1970 to 1971.
Haque served as a Lecturer (1952-1954) and Senior Lecturer (1957-1962) in the Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka; then joined the Department of Zoology, Bangladesh Agriculture University in 1962 as Reader; and Professor of Fisheries, Bangladesh Agriculture University until his retirement (1967–1989). Professor Dr. AKM Aminul Haque served two full terms (1980-1984 and 1984-1988) as Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Agriculture University. In 2006, he was appointed National Professor for five years by the Government of Bangladesh. He served as an advisor in the caretaker government of Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed in 1990-1991. He also served as the Director of Marine in the Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
Haque introduced ‘Fisheries’ in the University education system as a distinct academic discipline by establishing the first-ever Faculty of Fisheries in the subcontinent at Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, in 1967. Professor Aminul Haque, known as the ‘Father of Fisheries Education in Bangladesh’, was the founder Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries and founder departmental Head of 3 (three) departments. Later, he founded the Fisheries Society of Bangladesh (FSB). He was the founder Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Journal of Fisheries.
Professor Haque was the eminent Fisheries Scientist, who contributed remarkably to Fisheries Biology, especially Cetacean (dolphin, porpoise, and whale). Professor Haque received many prestigious distinctions, honors, and awards, notably UNESCO Prize for a school textbook (1961-1962) and the book ‘Chil-Myna-Doel-Koel’ (1963-1964); National Fish Fortnight Award (1996 and 2003); University Category National Teachers Day Gold Medal Award (2003); Dr. SD Chaudhuri Gold Medal (2004); Life Time Achievement Award (2008) and CSRL, GROW and OXFAM Award (2011). He became a fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences in 1988.
Professor Aminul Haque died on 29 August, 2022 at 93 in Dhaka. [Yearul Kabir]
