M Osman Ghani ( bn, মোহাম্মদ ওসমান গণি; – July 21, 1989) was a Bangladeshi scientist, educationist, and academic. He served as the 11th

vice-chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

of the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...

Early life and education

Ghani was born on 1 March 1912, to a

Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims ( bn, বাঙালি মুসলমান; ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the sec ...

family in the village of Gazadia in

Karimganj Karimganj is a city in the Karimganj District of the Indian state of Assam. It is the administrative headquarters of the district. Karimganj city is located at . The area of Karimganj city is 16.09 km2. It has an average elevation of 13 ...

Kishoreganj Kishoreganj is a city and the headquarters of Kishoreganj District Kishoreganj ( bn, কিশোরগঞ্জ) is a district in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. Earlier it was a Mohkuma (মহকুমা) under the Mymensingh district. It ...

Bengal Presidency The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...

. His parents were Haji Muhammad Darbar Ali and Maqbula Begum. He completed primary and middle school in his village, before enrolling to the Department of Chemistry at the

. In 1935, Ghani became the first South Asian Muslim to have obtained a master's in biochemistry from the University of Dhaka. He later earned his Ph.D. degree in agricultural chemistry from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

in 1938.

Career

Ghani joined the University of Dhaka in India as a lecturer of soil science in 1940. During 1945 – 1949 he was an agricultural chemist of the Government of Bengal, British India and later Government of East Pakistan. He returned to the university in 1949 and became professor and head of the Department of Soil Science and also head of the Department of Geology. Ghani served as the first vice-chancellor of the East Pakistan Agricultural University (later

Bangladesh Agricultural University Bangladesh Agricultural University ( bn, বাংলাদেশ কৃষি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, ''Bangladesh Krishi Bishshobiddalôe''), abbreviated as BAU, was established in 1961. The university has 43 departments. ...

) during 1961–1963. He later served as the vice-Chancellor of the University of Dhaka during 1963 – 1970. Ghani was elected a fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences in 1954 and was elected the President of the

Bangladesh Academy of Sciences Bangladesh Academy of Sciences is an academic forum for Bangladeshi scientists and technologists. Established in 1973, it aims to fulfill the role of promoting research and development of sciences in Bangladesh. History After the partition of ...

in 1976. Ghani was also elected a Member of the Bangladesh Parliament as an independent candidate in 1979.

Awards and honors

* Sitara-e-Quaid-i-Azam (1958) *

Sitara-e-Pakistan The Nishan-e-Pakistan ( ur, , , ''Order of Pakistan'') is the highest civilian award of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is awarded for "those who have rendered services of highest distinction" to the national interest of Pakistan. Nishan i ...

(1964) * Honorary DSc from

Northern Colorado University The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) is a public university in Greeley, Colorado. The university was founded in 1889 as the State Normal School of Colorado and has a long history in teacher education. The institution has officially changed ...

(1967)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghani, M Osman 1910s births 1989 deaths University of Dhaka alumni Academic staff of the University of Dhaka Vice-Chancellors of the University of Dhaka Fellows of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences Vice-Chancellors of Bangladesh Agricultural University People from Kishoreganj District 20th-century Bengalis 2nd Jatiya Sangsad members