M Harunur Rashid

Professor M Harunur Rashid, who has served in the tertiary education sector both in the public and private universities, for the last 51 years, was educated at the universities of Dhaka and Cambridge, UK. He has held distinguished positions both at home and abroad. In 1984 he was elected President of the World University Service International, Geneva in the general assembly held at Nantes, France for a term of two years. Before him two distinguished persons from the sub-continent held this post — Dr Zakir Husain, fmr President of India and Dr I H Qureshi, fmr education minister of Pakistan. It was in 1991 during the interregnum of President Shahabuddin Ahmed that he was appointed the Director General of Bangla Academy. In 1998-1999 he was elected the President of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. In 2006 he was appointed the President of Bangla Academy for a term of two years. He briefly served as the chief editor of the Ohoka Courier in 1999. His association with the Dhaka Courier dates back to the mid-eighties when some of his former students decided to bring out a national weekly under the leadership of Enayetullah Khan. Having relinquished his job at the Dhaka University, Khan decided to be an entrepreneur in the business world where he achieved success. But he did not remain confined to the corporate world and devoted himself to a few social welfare projects of crucial importance. He has founded the UNB and the WTB (now known as Wild Team) and has patronised the setting up of Cosmos Atelier 71, an art gallery. Professor Rashid has worked with him in most of his welfare projects and is currently the Vice President of the WildTeam, Bangladesh.