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(Foundation Fellow, 1973)
Professor Mukarram Hussain Khundkar was born in Faridpur in 1922.
He was educated at Barisal Zilla School and Jagannath College. He earned B.Sc (Honours) and M. Sc. Degrees in Chemistry from Dhaka University. He received Ph.D Degree from Durham Univiersity, King’s College in 1948.
He was Reader (1948-1960) and Professor (1960-1972) at the Dhaka University, Department of Chemistry.
He was Kali Narayan Scholar and was a recipient of the University Gold Medal, Dhaka University, also Academy Gold Medal for Research in Physical Sciences, Pakistan Academy of Sciences (1967). He was honored with Independence Day Award, Government of Bangladesh (Posthumous, 1973). To perpetuate the memorable contributions in the field of Chemistry the University of Dhaka established the Chair of "Khundkar Professor" at the Department of Chemistry and named a Science Building as "Khundkar Mukarram Hussain Biggan Bhaban."
Dr. Khundkar has published more than one hundred original research publications in national and international journals.
Prof. Khundkar’s research interests include (a) Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, (b) Processing and reactions of minerals, (c) Chemistry of cellulose and jute; Solid State Chemistry involving the mechanism of solid state reactions and various related properties of solids. Study of metal borates; and adsorption of gases on the solid matrix.
Prof. Khundkar studied the mineral processing and reactions of various minerals in order to find out their new applications. He studied sulphide minerals like iron pyrites, stibnite, chromite and bauxite. He extracted elementary sulphur from metal sulphides, also recovered elementary sulphur and hydrogen sulphide. He studied synthetic ferrites, electrolytic processing of minerals for extraction of metals particularly copper and antimony.
Prof. Khundkar’s research included soxidative studies, phosphorylation and nitration of cotton and jute cellulose, production of carboxymethyl cellulose.
He was Head of the Department of Chemistry from 1954 to 1972 and was also the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Dhaka University. He was Director of Advanced Centre for Chemical Crystallography, University of Dhaka (1965 - 1969) supported by UNESCO.
Prof. Khundkar developed a novel technique for producing crystalline metal borates, study of decomposition and sulphidation of transition metal oxalates, graphite - sulphur interclation compounds; organoboron compounds, metal ammines and chemistry of non-metallic sulphur compounds.
He developed analytical methods for the determination of a metal ion from complex and mutually interfering mixtures and new ion-exchangers from indigenous materials.
He was editor of the Journal of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences; Member of the Editorial Board of the Dhaka University Studies; Member of the sub-committee for science and technology of the Bangla Academy, and Chairman of the Paribhasha Committee for Chemistry of the Bengali Development Board.
Dr. Khundkar was a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain (F.R.I.C.); Chairman of Pakistan Branch of R.I.C; Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (F.R.S.A.), London; Member of the Society of Chemical Industry, London; Fellow of Pakistan Academy of Sciences; Member of the Council of Pakistan Associa tion for the Advancement of Science, and President of the Section of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry for 1957; National Secretary for the International Committee for Electro-chemical Kinetics and Thermodynamics (CITCE); National Co-ordinator for the Commonwealth Committee for Mineral Processing; Member of Pan Indian Ocean Science Association (PIOSA); Member of the Permanent Council of the International Congress on Corrosion. Dr. Khundkar was a Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences and became a Founding Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences when this Academy was founded in 1973 after the independence of Bangladesh.
It may be mentioned that The Bangladesh Academy of Sciences came into existence in 1973 but work for its establishment started right after the Independence of Bangladesh in 1971 by Foundation Fellows most of whom had earlier belonged to the Pakistan Academy of Sciences. Professor Mukarram Hussain Khundkar was among them. Unfortunately, he passed away a few months before BAS was established.
He expired on 30 November 1972 at the age of 51.
