Bangla Academy’s ex-DG Prof Harunur Rashid dies

Professor M Harunur Rashid, former chairman of Bangla Academy and a former teacher of Jahangirnagar University, passed away at a hospital in the capital on Tuesday.

He was 85.

Prof Harunur Rashid, who had been suffering from cancer, breathed his last at Ibn Sina Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, his son Humayun Rashid told UNB.

He was buried around 8:45 pm after Isha prayers at Baba Hujur Mosque premises near Kazipara at Mirpur in the capital.

Professor Rashid was born on 28 December 1939 into a Bengali Muslim family in the Tinsukia district of Assam in British India.

He completed his BA Honours (1960) and MA (1961) in English from Dhaka University. Later, he pursued further education at the University of Cambridge (Fitzwilliam College), UK, where he earned a BA Honours (1966) and an MA (1970).

On 7 February 1991, he was appointed Director General of Bangla Academy, marking a significant milestone in his career as an educational administrator.

During his tenure, he published the Bangla Academy English–Bengali Dictionary.

After serving as Director General for four years, he returned to Jahangirnagar University, where he later opted for voluntary retirement in 1998.

Following his retirement in 1999, Professor Rashid briefly transitioned into journalism, serving as the chief editor of Dhaka Courier, a national English-language newsweekly.

However, this phase of his career was short-lived, and he subsequently joined North South University as an adjunct professor of English, where he taught for eight years until December 2008.

In January 2009, he joined Darul Ihsan University as an adviser and professor of English.

He also taught at the Dhaka branch of International Islamic University Chittagong, continuing his academic contributions until 28 February 2015.

Professor Rashid held several prestigious positions in several national organisations.

He was elected president of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh in 1998 for a two-year term. In February 2007, he became the president of Bangla Academy for another two-year term. On 5 August 2015, he was unanimously elected Chairman of Wild Team (Wild Life Trust of Bangladesh).

Professor Rashid’s extensive career as an academic, administrator, and advocate for wildlife conservation showcases his diverse contributions to education and society.