Renowned nuclear scientist and academic Dr. M Shamsher Ali passed away in the early hours of Sunday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka. He was 87.
His son, Jehan Ali, confirmed the news of his father’s death. The funeral prayer will be held after Zohr at the Baitul Aman Mosque on Road 7 in Dhanmondi, after which he will be laid to rest at Azimpur Graveyard.
Dr. Ali was a former professor of physics at the University of Dhaka and served as the founding vice-chancellor of both Bangladesh Open University and Southeast University. He was also the former president of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences and held the title of Professor Emeritus.
Born on November 21, 1937, in Bheramara, Kushtia, Dr. Shamsher Ali completed his matriculation from Jessore Zilla School in 1954 and his ISC from Rajshahi College in 1956. He went on to earn a BSc (Honours) and MSc in Physics from the University of Dhaka, completing both with distinction by 1960. He later earned two PhD degrees in Theoretical Nuclear Physics from the University of Manchester, first in 1961 and again in 1965.
Dr. Ali began his career in 1961 with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. After completing his doctorate, he returned to Dhaka in 1965 and joined the Atomic Energy Centre as a Senior Scientific Officer. He was appointed Director of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1970, making him one of the youngest in that position at the time.
In 1973, Dhaka University honored him with a rare appointment as Honorary Professor of Physics. He officially joined the university as a professor in 1982 and served until 2006.
From 1992 to 1996, Dr. Ali served as the founding vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Open University. He later became the founding vice-chancellor of Southeast University, a post he held from 2002 to 2010. Between 2004 and 2012, he also served as the president of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences.
Most recently, on March 24, he resumed official duties as Professor Emeritus at Bangladesh Open University.