Sufia Ahmed (; 20 November 1932 – 9 April 2020) was a Bangladeshi academic. She was selected as the first female National Professor of Bangladesh in January 1995. She was awarded

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

in 2002 by the

Government of Bangladesh The government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh () is the central government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive (the president, prime minister and cabinet), the ...

Career

Ahmed was born in the

Faridpur District Faridpur District () is a district in south-central Bangladesh. It is a part of Dhaka Division. It is bounded by the Padma River to the northeast. The district was named for its headquarters, the city of Faridpur, Bangladesh, Faridpur, which its ...

to M Ibrahim, a justice and former

vice-chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

of the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public university, public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka w ...

and Lutfunnessa Ibrahim. She studied at Dow Hill Girls' School in

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...

, but after the Partition of Bengal in 1947, the family moved to

Barisal Barisal ( or ; , ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal District and Barisal Divi ...

. Ahmed was a student at

Brojomohun College Govt. Brojomohun College, Barishal, commonly known as BM College, is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Bangladesh. It is located in the city of Barishal in south-western Bangladesh. History On June 14, 1889, Ashwini Kumar Dut ...

in Barisal. In 1950, she got admitted to the

(DU). She was one of the female forerunners to break section 144 and deny the curfew in DU Campus on February 21, 1952. She earned her Ph.D. degree in 1960 in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Ahmed joined as a faculty member at the Department of Islamic History and Culture of the University of Dhaka in 1961. She was a visiting professor of Bosphorus University in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

and Alverno College in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. Ahmed served as a member of board of the directors of

Bangladesh Bank Bangladesh Bank (BB; ) is the central bank of Bangladesh and is a member of the Asian Clearing Union. It is fully owned by the Bangladesh, Government of Bangladesh. The bank is active in developing green banking. and financial inclusion poli ...

. She was the president of Bangladesh Itihas Parishad.

Personal life

Ahmed married Barrister Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed in June 1955. Together they had a son, Syed Refaat Ahmed, 25th

Chief Justice of Bangladesh The chief justice of Bangladesh ( – ) is the highest-ranking judge of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and the head of the country's judiciary, overseeing both the Supreme Court and all subordinate courts. The chief justice is appointed by the ...

and a daughter, Raina Ahmed, a physician. On July 18, 2004, Sufia Ahmed established a trust fund titled ''"Barrister Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Memorial Foundation"'' at the

Asiatic Society of Bangladesh The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh is a non political and non profit research organisation registered under both Society Act of 1864 and NGO Affairs Bureau, Government of Bangladesh. The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh was established as the Asiati ...

. Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Tasneem Raina Fateh, the two children of Sufia Ahmed, established a trust fund titled ''"National Professor Dr. Sufia Ahmed Memorial Foundation"'' on November 20, 2020 at the

Awards

* Sufia Kamal Award (2015) *

(2002)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Sufia 1932 births 2020 deaths People from Faridpur District University of Dhaka alumni Academic staff of the University of Dhaka Bangladeshi women academics National Professors of Bangladesh Recipients of the Ekushey Padak