Ekushey Padak winner Prof Dr Ahmad Shamsul Islam no more

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Dhaka, April 14 - Ekushey Padak-winning educationist, scientist, researcher, and author Professor Dr Ahmad Shamsul Islam has passed away.

He breathed his last in the early hours of Monday (April 14).

He was 100 at the time of his death. He leaves behind two sons, a daughter, 14 grandchildren, and a host of relatives, admirers, and former students.

His eldest son, Professor Dr Yusuf Islam, is the Vice-Chancellor of Southeast University. His only daughter, Dr Zeba Islam, is a professor at the University Grants Commission, while his youngest son, Engineer Khalid Islam, is an IT specialist based in Silicon Valley, USA.

Professor Islam taught botany for over 40 years at the University of Dhaka and other institutions around the world. He also served as a supernumerary professor at Dhaka University.

In his research career, he achieved a major milestone by successfully hybridizing two commercial varieties of jute for the first time. He also pioneered tissue culture and micropropagation techniques for jute.

To produce virus-free plants from local orchids and potatoes, he developed and applied various tissue culture methods, including somaclonal variation, meristem culture, and micropropagation.

Among his notable awards are the President’s Gold Medal in Agriculture (1984), Ekushey Padak in Education (1986), BAS Gold Medal in Biology (1987), Bangladesh Botanical Association Gold Medal (1997), and the GNOBB Lifetime Achievement Award (2017).

In 1980, he founded the Qur’anic School Society to spread the teachings of the Qur’an among young children.

His notable publications include ‘Smritir Pote Jibon Chhobi’, ‘Rhymes of the Heart’, ‘Bongshogotibidyar Moolkotha’, and ‘Gene Prokoushol.’ His contributions to education and research in Bangladesh will be remembered forever. - UNB