Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, fondly known to his students and BUETians as JRC, is suddenly and sadly with us no more. His illustrious life and works ended when he passed away in his sleep in the early hours of 28 April 2020. He was a gem and superstar amongst the BUETians. He shall be remembered and revered by the engineering community for his contributions to the profession.
Professor JRC gave unique leadership to the engineers of Bangladesh to believe that we ourselves can build our infrastructures without outside help. He had the confidence to undertake different mega civil engineering development projects and he led the teams with professional competence and ingenuity.
His students admire and love him for his teaching, care and guidance. His contemporaries and colleagues respect and love him as a leader in crisis and great troubleshooter. He was motivated and dedicated to his mission to have the job done well. He was a successful organiser amply demonstrated by the organisations and professional bodies he had been associated with.
Jamilur Raza Choudhury endeavored to pay back his debt to the people and country by working selflessly as educator and engineer. He was a patriot and believed in the economic emancipation of the people. He was a natural leader and crisis manager. He was honest and trustworthy and he despised flattery. The nation trusted him and his wisdom.
Professor JRC was an ardent sports lover. He used to play football, cricket, lawn tennis, squash, table tennis, billiards and so forth. He organised many national and international tournaments.
As a person Professor JRC was a complete man with strong personality but accessible to anyone known or unknown. He managed time in spite of pressing commitments. He dressed simple and spoke softly. His contemporaries admire his character, integrity, boldness and total commitment. He chaired and conducted meetings effectively while listening to points made. He had a photographic memory and a great sense of humour.
Professor JRC surpassed his contemporaries, critics and adversaries through his life-long pursuit for learning and hard work. He endeavored to pay back his debt to the people and country by working selflessly as educator and engineer. He was a patriot and believed in the economic emancipation of the people. He was a natural leader and crisis manager. He was honest and trustworthy and he despised flattery. The nation trusted him and his wisdom.
Professor JRC devoted his entire life as an educator as a faculty at BUET in various capacities, as the founding vice chancellor of BRAC University and vice chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific till death. He believed in continuous change and improvement of academic programmes and contents thereof. He will be remembered for contribution to IT education in the country. He has made himself an institution to the BUETians and all engineers in the country.
Over the past 47 years he has been my mentor, a benevolent well-wisher and guide. I admire his values and sense of belongingness to the country. This is my humble homage to my teacher and mentor Professor JRC. May Almighty rest his departed soul in peace.
Dr AKMA Quader is a retired professor of chemical engineering, BUET and Class of 1967