BRAC University organised a memorial to honour Salehuddin Ahmed, who served as the institution’s pro-vice-chancellor from 2005 to 2009.
Salehuddin was also formerly the deputy executive director of BRAC and managing editor of The Daily Star.
The event took place at the Merul Badda campus in Dhaka on Thursday, reads a press release.
Salehuddin passed away on 19 February 2026 in the United States, where he was undergoing treatment.
He was 79 and is survived by his wife, two daughters, and many well-wishers.
After completing his PhD in economics in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, he returned to Bangladesh and joined BRAC, dedicating nearly 25 years of his life to the organisation, which became his life’s work.
Recalling those years, Ahmed Mushtaque Raza Chowdhury, member of the Board of Trustees of BRAC University, said Salehuddin’s interest in research was “enormous.”
He added that Salehuddin was perfectly suited to advance BRAC’s evidence-based agenda during the NGO’s formative years.
Syeda Sarwat Abed, founder and adviser of the BRAC Institute of Languages at BRAC University, said Salehuddin had a passion for education and was a lifelong learner.
He was a brave and adventurous person, taking to learning Mandarin in his later years and subsequently living in China for two years before returning home to teach the language, she added.
Fuad Hassan Mollick, dean of the School of Architecture and Design at BRAC University, said Salehuddin helped shape BRAC University “in the same way a potter moulds a lump of clay,” adding that he knew how to smile and deal with people.
Imran Matin, executive director of the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development, said Salehuddin nurtured young minds during the early years of BRAC and BRAC University, and more people like him were needed.
Erum Mariam, executive director of the BRAC Institute of Educational Development, said he was very accessible and able to facilitate solutions on the spot.
Md Golam Samdani Fakir, director of the Learning and Teaching Innovation Center at BRAC University, said
Salehuddin was among the first to foster global collaborations at BRAC University and contributed to building both people and institutions.
Attendees offered prayers for the salvation of his soul and later joined the BRAC University Annual Iftar to break their fast together.
