Fellow

Dr. Syed Zahir Haider (Deceased)

(Fellow, 1975)

Syed Zahir Haider was born in 1927 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

He graduated with Honours in Chemistry from Dhaka University and secured M.Sc. from the same University in 1948. He received Ph.D. from London University in 1958 and D.I.C. of Imperial College of Science and Technology, London the same year.

He joined as Lecturer in Chemistry, Jagannath College, Dhaka and then to Dhaka University in 1949. He became permanent Lecturer in Chemistry of Dhaka University in the same year. Professor Haider was appointed Reader in Chemistry, Dhaka University in 1961 and was the first Head of the Department of Chemistry of Chittagong University from 1968 - 1970. He became Professor of Chemistry of Dhaka University in 1970. He was appointed to the special position of the Chair of Professor Mukarram Hussain Khundkar Professorship in Chemistry of Dhaka University 1986 - 1992. He had been acting as the Director of Bose Centre for Advanced Study and Research, Faculty of Science, Dhaka University from 1978 to 1989. He was Chairman of the Department of Chemistry, Dhaka University from 1982 to 1985. Dr. Haider was trained in Mineralogy at the Royal School of Mines, London and in Radioisotope Tracer Techniques at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, England. He was a DAAD Senior Visiting Scientist at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Stuttgart University, West Germany and also of Swedish Institute, Stockholm.

Professor Haider was awared the first H. P. Roy Gold Medal for his original contribution in Chemistry in 1961 and the First Bangladesh Academy of Sciences Gold Medal in the Senior Group of Physical Sciences in 1982. He was also awarded Honorary D. Sc. degree in 1982 from the University of Nonformal Education, India. He has supervised a large number of Ph.D. and M. Phil. research students.

He has published more than 250 research papers in the national and international journals of Chemistry and general sciences mostly in the fields of metal borates, aminoborates, phosphates, organoboron compounds, industrial products, ion-exchange materials, coordination chemistry and structures of complexes of biological significance such as metal complexes of saccharine, vitamines and drugs.

Dr. Haider’s research activities covered the field of inorganic, analytical, nuclear and environmental chemistry. He made valuable contributions in the field of Chemistry of Water Hyacinth, such as in pollution control, biomass and biogas, fertilizer, paper and board production etc. He published a number of monographs, text books and reference books on Chemistry.

Dr. Haider was the Founding Secretary, Pakistan Association of Scientists and Scientific Profession (PASSP), East Pakistan Section 1963 - 1967. He was the Founding Editor of the Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences. Editor, Dhaka University Studies from 1980 to 1988. He was also a Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Islamic Academy of Sciences, Ankara, Turkey and also of Bangladesh Quest, Journal of Bangladesh Chemical Society, and Journal of BAAS. He was a Life Member, and Member Executive Committee of Bangladesh Chemical Society and also an Executive Committee Member of the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies. He was the Chairman of the Environmental Chemistry Group of FACS, Kuala Lumpur. He was also a Council member of Bangladesh Association for the Advancement of Science and also an Ex-oficio Council Member of BAS.

He was a Fellow of the Chemical Society, London since 1950 and became an Associate of the Royal Institute of Chemistry, London in 1955. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London in 1967. Foundation Fellow of the Islamic Academy of Sciences, Amman, Jordan in 1986. He was a Life Member and a Fellow of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh and was Vice President for two years. 

Dr. Haider conducted and participated in many international conferences, seminars, symposia and workshops. He delivered a key-note lecture at East Anglia University, Norwich, U.K. in 1984 at the Annual Conference of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Also participated at the 150th Anniversary  Celebration of the Royal Society of Chemistry at Imperial College, London in 1992.

Professor Haider had been a Member of the Senate of Jahanginagar and Dhaka Universities. He had been a Member of the Syndicate of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka. He has been a Member of the Academic Council of Dhaka and ShahJalal Universities, Sylhet. He was also a Member of the Academic Council of the National University. Professor Haider was the Convener of the Evaluation Committee constituted by the Ministry of Science and Technology to examine the developmental research activities of BC SIR and submitted a report in February, 1995. Professor Haider acted as the Chairman of the Syllabus Committee for Chemistry and Applied Chemistry set up for recasting the Curricula at the University level by the University Grants Commission. He was the National Coordinator of the Commonwealth Science Council, London Project CREN (Chemical Research and Environmental Needs).

He visited many countries of the world, such as UK, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Trukey, Iraq, S. Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Philippines, Fiji, Vanvatu, Sri Lanka, Senegal, Sudan, Kenya etc for participation at the conferences, seminars, symposia etc.

He expired on 23 August 2008