Former DU VC Arefin Siddique passes away

Former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University (DU) Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique passed away on Thursday night. He was 72.

He breathed his last at 10:45 pm while undergoing treatment at the neurosurgery department of Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital, said his brother Saifullah Siddique.

Dr Siddique's namaz-e-janaza will be held at Dhanmondi Idgah Mosque after the Jumma prayers on Friday. Later, he will be buried beside his parents at Azimpur Graveyard.

Despite receiving intensive medical care, he could not recover after being placed on life support.

On 6 March, Prof Siddique withdrew cash from a bank booth before heading to Dhaka Club in Ramna.

While conversing with others, he suddenly collapsed. His family members said he was immediately taken to Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital, where physicians admitted him in the intensive care unit (ICU).

As his condition deteriorated, he was put on life support.

Medical sources confirmed that he suffered a sudden brain stroke, which led to critical neurological failure.

Born on 26 October, 1953, in Dhaka, Professor Siddique hailed from Raipura Upazila in Narsingdi district.

He obtained his master's degree from the department of mass communication and journalism at the Dhaka University in 1975 and completed his PhD on televised teaching from the University of Mysore of India in 1985.

He joined the Dhaka University's mass communication and journalism department in 1980.

Dr Siddique served as acting dean of social science faculty and as senate and syndicate member.

He served as the chairman of the DU’s department of mass communication and journalism before being appointed the 27th vice-chancellor in 2009, a position he held until 2017.

After completing his tenure, he returned to teaching at his department until his retirement in June 2020.