BAU VC killed in road mishap

from Our Correspondent 

NARAYANGANJ, Feb 4: Vice-Chancellor of the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) of Mymensingh Dr. Mohammed Hussain was killed and seven other members of his family were injured in a road accident on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway this morning. He was 60. 

Professor Hussain was seriously injured when the jeep carrying him and his close relatives including his daughter, daughter-in-law and grandsons skidded off the road and fell into a wayside ditch at Keodala of Madanpur in front of Pipasha filling station under Narayanganj sadar thana. He died on way to a nearby clinic while the other passengers of the jeep received minor injuries. 

Police sources said, the VC was going to his village home at Barabkunda of Sitakunda in Chittagong. 

Family sources said, Prof Hossain was scheduled to participate in a programme of the BAU at Cox's Bazar on Feb 7 next. 

The autopsy of the deceased was carried out at the Narayangang General Hospital. Later the body was handed over to Nahid Hussain Nabilee, a daughter of the deceased. 

His body was kept at the BIRDEM mortuary in Dhaka. His first Namaz-e-Janaza will be held in the BAU campus tomorrow. 

Professor Hussain was born on August 16 in 1939 in a respectable Muslim family at village Mahmudabad under Barabkunda thana in Chittagong district. 

He took charge as the vice-chancellor of the Agricultural University on November 14, 1996. 

After obtaining M Sc degree in Biochemistry in 1960 from the Dhaka University, he joined the Department of Biochemistry at the BAU in 1962. He did his PhD in 1967 from the Texas A and M University in the United States. He was promoted to Professor of Biochemistry in 1977. 

He was elected president of Agricultural University Teachers Association for a number of times. 

UNB adds: President Justice Shahabuddin Aimed has expressed deep shock and profound sorrow at the sudden and untimely death of Prof Mohammad Hussain. 

In a message of condolence today, the President recalled his dedication for the development of Agricultural University since his jointing in the institution in 1962. 

The President said, late Prof Hussain was a very amiable person and served the varsity throughout his life in various capacities. 

President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed his sympathy with the members of the bereaved family. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also expressed profound shock at the death of Professor Mohammad Hussain. "At the death of Prof Hussain the nation has lost a veteran educationist," said the Prime minister in a condolence massage sent from Brussels. 

Our Staff Reporter adds: The vice-chancellors of the Chittagong University and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in separate messages condoled the death of Prof Hussain today.