Emirates Prof. M. Shamsher Ali, Pioneering Nuclear Physicist, Dies at 84
Emirates Professor M. Shamsher Ali, a distinguished nuclear physicist, pioneering educationist, and founding vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Open University, passed away at 3:30 AM on Saturday, August 2, at a Dhaka hospital, aged 87. His eldest son, Jehan Ali, confirmed his death stating (Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji’un). A revered figure in Bangladesh’s academic and scientific communities, Prof. Ali’s career spanned decades of groundbreaking work in nuclear physics, transformative leadership in higher education, and a steadfast commitment to promoting public understanding of science.
His Namaz-e-Janaza will be held at Baitul Aman Mosque on Dhanmondi Road No. 7 after Zohr prayers today, family sources confirmed. Born on November 21, 1937, in Bheramara, Kushtia, Ali began his academic journey at Jessore Zilla School, completing his matriculation in 1954, followed by his Intermediate of Science at Rajshahi College in 1956. He joined Dhaka University’s Physics Department, earning his Bachelor’s in 1959 and Master’s in 1960, and later obtained a PhD in Theoretical Nuclear Physics from the University of Manchester in 1961. His passion for the subatomic world shaped his teaching of quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, and mathematical modeling, inspiring generations with his clarity and enthusiasm.
Ali’s career began in 1961 as a Senior Scientific Officer at the Atomic Energy Centre in Dhaka, where he served as Director from 1970 to 1978, laying critical foundations for Bangladesh’s nuclear science program. In 1982, he joined Dhaka University’s Physics Department as a professor. He became the founding vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Open University (1992–1996), revolutionizing distance education, and later of Southeast University (2002–2010), advancing private higher education. As president of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences from 2004 to 2012, he championed scientific research for national development.
His contributions earned him the Hari Prasanna Roy Gold Medal from Dhaka University for nuclear physics, the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences Gold Medal in 1984, and the TWAS-ROCASA Award in 2013 for promoting public science education. In 2009, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Higher Education Leadership from the International Leadership Colloquium in Malaysia. Named an honorary lifelong professor of physics at Dhaka University in 1973, Ali profoundly shaped Bangladesh’s scientific and educational landscape.
A fellow of the Bangla Academy, a lifetime member of the Bangladesh Asiatic Society, and a member of the American Physical Society, Ali advocated for integrated science education at the grassroots, believing early curiosity could unlock a nation’s intellectual potential. He is survived by family, colleagues, and countless students who will remember him as a scientist, educator, and advocate for knowledge in service of the public good.
