Huq, Serajul

Huq, Serajul (1905-2005) educationist, scholar and teacher. Born on 1 April 1905 at village Belakot in Ramgonj upazila of Noakhali district. Serajul Huq's father was Moulvi Hamidullah. He got his primary education from his village maktab and madrasa. He passed matriculation in 1921 from Dhaka Muhsinia Madrasa, IA in 1923 from Dhaka Islamic Intermediate College, BA with Honours in Islamic Studies in 1926 and MA in Persian from Dhaka University in 1927. Dr. Huq obtained his PhD from London University in 1934.

Serajul Huq joined Dhaka University in 1928 as Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies and was promoted to become Lecturer in 1937, Reader in 1943 and Professor in 1951. He continued to serve as Professor until 1970. He was head of the department from 1951 to 1970, Dean of the Faculty of Arts in 1964-65 and 1968-69, Assistant Proctor for five years between 1940 and 1945, Librarian of the University in 1944, Honorary Treasurer and Acting Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University in 1970. He was Professor Emeritus from 1975 till death. He was proficient in Arabic, Bengali, Urdu and English.

In 1979 Huq was elected President of the asiatic society of bangladesh. He was awarded 'Sitara-e-Imtiaz' in 1969, Fellowship of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh in 1973, Swadhinata Padak in 1983, Islamic Foundation Padak in 1985, Professor Sukumar Sen Gold Medal of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta in 1996 and Ekushey Padak in 1997. Dhaka University instituted in his memory the Serajul Huq Islamic Research Centre at the Department of Islamic Studies. He died on 4 March 2005. [ABM Saiful Islam Sidddiqui]