Prof Zia Rahman, dean of Dhaka University's social sciences faculty, dies at 60

The founding chairman of the university's Criminology Department passes away in hospital care after suffering a heart attack

Prof Zia Rahman, the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Dhaka University, has died at the age of 60.

He passed away during treatment at Dhaka's Labaid Hospital in the early hours of Saturday, according to ABM Nazmus Shakib, an assistant professor of criminology at DU.

"Sir passed away following a heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital around 3:45am, where doctors declared him dead shortly after at 4:15am," he said.

Prof Rahman leaves behind his wife.

A pioneer in his field, Rahman was instrumental in founding the Criminology Department at Dhaka University. He also served as the provost of the university's Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall.

A native of Gopalganj's Muksudpur Upazila, Rahman embarked on his educational journey at Dhaka's Government Laboratory High School, graduating in 1982. He completed his higher secondary education at Government Science College in 1985 before pursuing higher studies in sociology at Dhaka University.

After earning his bachelor's degree in 1990 and his master's in 1992, Rahman pursued further education at the University of Calgary in Canada, where he obtained another master's degree in 2003 and a PhD in 2011.

Rahman began his teaching career as a lecturer and assistant professor at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology before joining Dhaka University's Department of Sociology as a faculty member in 1997.

He also served as a board director of the International Society of Criminology and the director of the Centre for Advanced Research in Social Sciences at Dhaka University. From 2013 to 2020, he led the university's Department of Criminology as its founding chairman.