Fellow

National Prof. Dr. Nurul Islam (Deceased)

(Foundation Fellow, 1973)

National Professor Dr. Nurul Islam was born on 01 April, 1928 in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Dr. Islam obtained MB from Calcutta, 1951; TDD from the University of Wales, 1955; MRCP 1956; FCCP from American College of Chest Physicians, 1962; FCPS 1963; FRCP Edin, 1966; FRCP Lond, 1977; D.Sc, Ansted University, Malaysia, 1999; FCGP, Bangladesh.

Dr. Islam was the Director & Professor, IPGMR, 1965-1987, Founding Dean, Faculty of Postgraduate Medicine, Dhaka University, Personal Physician to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 1971-75; Founding Councillor, Pakistan and Bangladesh College of Physicians & Surgeons; Chairman, Bangladesh First National AIDS Committee; Founder Chairman, Janasheba Foundation  & Institute of Applied Health Sciences (IAHS); Founder President, ADHUNIK (National anti-tobacco organization); Founder Chief Adviser, Coalition Against Tobacco (CAT); Chairman, Editorial Board, Tobacco News; Vice-Chairman, Hamdard Foundation Bangladesh; and Founder President & Founder Vice-Chancellor, University of Science & Technology Chittagong from 1992 to till his death.  In the international field, Prof. Islam was a Member, WHO Expert Advisory panel on HMD (1976 - 1992), Member, Expert Advisory panel on Tobacco & Health, WHO 1992; Emeritus Advisor, Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, and Fellow, Pakistan Academy of Sciences.

As an educationalist, medical scientist, social worker, researcher and antitobacco leader, Professor Islam has been awarded many Medals and Commemorative Certificates. Some of these are: President’s Gold Medal (1963), Gold Medal-Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (1982), Daymi Award for Religion and Social work (1986); Rangdhanu Academy Award (1986) for Social Service, The Independence Day Award (1997), WHO Commemorative Medal worthy of international recognition for tobacco control in 1990 and 1992, Ibn Sina Medal-1995; Gold Medal-RCP Edin (1999), Social Service Award by the Govt. of Bangladesh (2000), Bangladesh Nutrition Society Award (2002), Hussain Shahid Suhrawardi Award for tobacco-free society (2003), Bangla Academy Award (2003), Dr. B.C. Roy Gold Medal Award for Medical Science, Kolkata (2003), Prime Minister’s National Science Writers’ Award 2005 and Marie Curie Award for Medical Sciences 2006.

Dr. Islam was a successful physician, teacher and research scientist and an outstanding personality. He was the dreamer and architect of tobacco-free society who first launched the anti-tobacco movement in Bangladesh through establishment of ADHUNIK, meaning “Amra Dhumpan Nibaron Kori” the first National anti-tobacco organization. Dr. Islam has to his credit over 100 publications on health and drugs in international journals and over 100 articles on anti-tobacco published in National and International dailies and journals. He wrote over 27 books including some on Tobacco & Health e.g. Tobacco Smoking: Opinions, Questions & Answers; Medical Diagnosis and Treatment; Tropical Eosinophilia; Essential Drugs for Village Practice; and Prescription for Professionals. Tobacco Control In Bangladesh: The Man Behind containing a compilation of his anti-tobacco articles by Jabbar M.A. and Islam A. I. has been appreciated by the world leaders of anti-tobacco movement. Dr. Islam edited Something about Health, History of IPGMR, IAHS to USTC, USTA - (USTC annual publication) etc.

Dr. Islam was a Fellow Pakistan Academy of Sciences; Member, College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Physicians (Edin & Lond, Emeritus Regional adviser 1998), Fellow, Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Member, Bangladesh Society of Allergy and Immunology, Member, Bangladesh Association for Advancement of Medical Science. He had set up two Trust Funds in the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh for promotion of Medical Sciences.

Prof. Islam visited many countries of Asia, USSR, UK, Germany, Norway, Italy, Turkey, USA, Argentina, Brazil and South Africa. 

Professor Islam expired on 24 January 2013.