National Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury dies

National Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, the country’s best known civil engineer, has died of a heart attack at the age of 77.

Choudhury suffered a “massive heart attack” in his sleep at home in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi around 2am on Tuesday, said his relative Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam, dean of Dhaka University’s business studies faculty.

“Everything was lost when we took him to the Square Hospital around 4am,” he said.

Choudhury was laid to rest at the Banani Graveyard following his Namaz-e-Janaza at Dhanmondi Eidgah Mosque after Zuhr prayers, his niece Shenin Ziauddin said.   

The founding vice-chancellor of BRAC University, Choudhury was working as the VC of the University of Asia Pacific.

Graduating from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Prof Choudhury was an adviser to a caretaker government.     

He was awarded Ekushey Padak by the government in the science and technology category in 2017. The government honoured him as a national professor in 2018.

He chaired the expert panel advising the construction of Bangabandhu Bridge over the river Jamuna, the first mega project in Bangladesh. He had been leading the international advisory panel for Padma Bridge.

Besides, he also led the panel of experts in many other mega projects, including Dhaka Elevated Expressway, Karnaphuli Tunnel, Dhaka Subway and Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway.

Choudhury was born in Sylhet on Nov 15, 1943 to Hayatun Nessa Choudhury and Abid Reza Choudhury. He was the third among five siblings.

He had his early education in Mymensingh Zilla School and later moved to Dhaka.

Choudhury started his teaching career by joining BUET as a lecturer after graduation in 1963. He earned his PhD in structural engineering in 1968 from the University of Southampton in the UK.

As a part of his research, Choudhury developed a simplified method for the analysis of shear walls in tall buildings, commonly known as Coull and Choudhury’s Method is widely used around the world.

He served as the head of Department of Civil Engineering, BUET from 1978-79 and 1981-83. He was the adviser to a number of national and international projects and a key member of the steering committee on the Bangladesh National Building Code (1993).

The works and contributions of Choudhury to engineering science and technology are reflected in various publications authored by him, including about 70 papers in international journals and conference proceedings related to tall buildings, low-cost housing, earthquake resistant design, cyclones and storm surges, retrofitting of structures, IT applications and policy issues.

Besides national recognition, he was also honoured with the Order of the Rising Sun: Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon -- a prestigious honour conferred by Japan.

He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa) by Manchester University in 2010.

Choudhury is survived by his wife Selina Choudhury, daughter Charisma Choudhury and son Kaashif Reza Choudhury.