Jute genome scientist Maqsudul Alam laid to rest

Bangladeshi scientist Maqsudul Alam, who led the research in sequencing the DNA of the traditional variety of jute, has been laid to rest in Honolulu in the USA, where he was teaching for 20 years.

He was buried at Kaneohe Muslim cemetery on Monday noon (local time) after the Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayer) for him was held at the University of Hawaii in Manoa.

The scientist died at the Queens Hospital in Hawaii early on Sunday (Bangladesh time) after suffering from cirrhosis of the liver.

Bangladesh’s honorary Consul General at Hawaii Jam Rumi told bdnews24.com that Alam’s colleagues at the University of Hawaii and Bangladeshis living there took part in the prayer.

He said politicians and public representatives of Hawaii State expressed their ‘deep condolence’ at the death of Alam and prayed for his soul.

Dr Alam, who hailed from Faridpur, taught at the University of Hawaii. He was the director of the Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics Department at the university's College of Natural Sciences.

Rumi said the scientist was buried at Honolulu as per his ‘last wish’.

File Photo

Alam and his team became globally famous for discovering the genome sequence of ‘Tosha’ jute -- the Jute Plant Draft Genome – in June, 2010.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina broke the news in Parliament on Jun 16 that year.

Their triumph continued as they sequenced the DNA make-up of a fungus, Macrophomina Phaseolina, which reduces yield of more than 500 species of crops including jute, soybean, cotton, tobacco, maize and sunflower.

In August last year, Hasina, flanked by Alam, announced that the team had sequenced the DNA of Tosha.

Alam had also led the researches to decode papaya genome for Hawaii University and rubber tree genome for the Malaysian government in 2008.