Biography:M. Anwar Hossain

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Short description: Bangladeshi scientist, writer, and politician


M Anwar Hossain
মো. আনোয়ার হোসেন
Born (1949-08-20) 20 August 1949 (age 74)
Sylhet, East Bengal, Dominion of Pakistan
Alma materUniversity of Dhaka
Kyoto University
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Dhaka
Kyoto University
Kyoto Prefectural University
Purdue University
Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Jahangirnagar University

M Anwar Hossain (born 20 August 1949) is a Bangladeshi scientist, writer, and politician. He is a professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of University of Dhaka and a member of the Standing Committee of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal.[1][2][3][4] He was the 14th vice chancellor of Jahangirnagar University and the former president of the Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) and Bangladesh Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.[5][6] Hossain was a freedom fighter of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 during which he served as a staff officer of sector 11. Hossain has been detained and imprisoned twice by military rulers of Bangladesh and has been described by Senator Edward Kennedy as a 'prisoner of conscience'.[7][8]

Family and early life

Hossain was born in the Juri Station of Sylhet on 20 August 1949 to his parents Mohiuddin Ahmed and Begum Ashrafunnessa. Mohiuddin who began his career as an apprentice of the British Railway was serving as station master of Juri when Anwar was born. Anwar had three sisters and eight brothers. Eight of the eleven brothers and sisters actively participated in the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. Four of Anwar's brothers, Lt. Colonel Abu Taher, Abu Yusuf Khan, Shakhawat Hossain Bahar and Waresat Hussain Belal, were awarded the Bir Uttam, Bir Bikram, Bir Protik and Bir Protik respectively.

Career

Academic

Anwar obtained his bachelor's and master's from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Dhaka in 1971 and 1972 respectively. He did his MSc thesis under the supervision of Kamaluddin Ahmad.[9] Anwar joined Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Dhaka as a lecturer on 1 January 1975. In 1982 Anwar was awarded a Monbukagakusho Scholarship with which he pursued doctoral studies at Kyoto University, Japan under the supervision of Kozi Asada. His Ph.D. thesis was titled "Photosynthesis: Plant's Defence Mechanism Against Photo-Oxidative Damage” and was awarded the degree in 1985. He became an assistant professor at 1985 and associate professor at 1990. From 1994 to till date he is working as a selection grade professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka. He was Chairman of the Department from 2001 to 2003. Hossain was elected as Dean of the Biological Sciences and the Founding Project Director of Dhaka University's Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering.[10] He has, in the past, served as the elected General Secretary and President of the Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) for multiple terms.[11][12] Hossain was elected as the vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University (JU) on 17 July 2012, a position which he served till January 2014.[13]

Research

Hossain has conducted research with world renowned plant scientists, among whom are Joseph C. Arthur Distinguished Professor of Plant Physiology and Emeritus Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology of Purdue University Thomas K Hodges, Japanese plant physiologist and Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University Kozi Asada, former president of the Australian Academy of Science Jim Peacock and Professor Kamaluddin Ahmad. With over 1400 citations, Hossain is one of the most cited plant scientists in Bangladesh.[14] His works have appeared in premier scientific journals including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Plant Physiology, Plant Molecular Biology and Plant and Cell Physiology.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Hossain serves in the Editorial Board of Bioresearch Communications.[22] After his PhD he returned to Bangladesh for 2–3 years, and then again went to Kyoto Prefectural University as a part of a Biotechnology Career Fellowship Program (1987–1990). This time he studied plant genetic engineering.

From 1991 to 1994 and 1995–1996 he worked at Purdue University, USA and Kyoto University, Japan respectively as visiting scientist (full-time professor) during which he worked for developing submergence (flood) tolerant rice.

Awards

  1. Japanese Monbusho Scholarship in 1982
  2. University Grants Commission (UGC) Award 1985 for the research paper entitled, 'Monodehydroascorbate reductase from cucumber is a flavin adenine dinucleotide enzyme' which was adjudged as the best publication in 1985 in fundamental research in the field of Biological Sciences in Bangladesh.
  3. The Rockefeller Foundation Biotechnology Career Fellowship in 1987.
  4. The Rockefeller Foundation Visiting Scientist Fellowship in 1991.
  5. Justice Ibrahim Gold Medal for the year 1993 for outstanding research in Biological Sciences.
  6. Visiting professorship in Kyoto University, Japan in 1995.

Literature

Hossain's columns have appeared in leading national dailies such as bdnews24, Janakantha, Kaler Kantho, and Samakal.[23] He has written four books.

References

  1. "Faculty Members List: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology". http://www.du.ac.bd/academic/department_item_details/faculty/BCH. 
  2. "Inu for concerted effort to end politics of conspiracy" (in en). The Daily Sun. http://www.daily-sun.com/arcprint/details/245228/Inu-for-concerted-effort-to-end-politics-of-conspiracy/2017-08-03. 
  3. "'JSD built strategic unity with Zia on 7th Nov' - Politics" (in en). News Bangladesh. http://www.newsbangladesh.com/english/details/19358. 
  4. (in bn)banglanews24.com. 12 November 2016. http://www.banglanews24.com/national/news/bd/532688.details. 
  5. "University of Dhaka - the highest echelon of academic excellence". http://www.du.ac.bd/academic/department_item_details/faculty/BCH. 
  6. "New Executive Committee-2015". http://www.bdsbmb.org/committee.htm. 
  7. "Senator Criticizes Academic Arrests" (in en). The Harvard Crimson. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2007/11/2/senator-criticizes-academic-arrests-senator-edward/. 
  8. "Keynote Speech by Lawrence Lifschultz" (in en-US). http://www.pamphleteerspress.com/keynote-speech-by-lawrence-lifschultz/. 
  9. "Ahmad, Kamaluddin". http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Ahmad,_Kamaluddin. 
  10. "History – DU-GEB" (in en-US). http://geb.du.ac.bd/about/history/. 
  11. "Pro-AL panel sweeps DUTA". bdnews24.com. https://bdnews24.com/politics/2010/12/29/pro-al-panel-sweeps-duta. 
  12. "High stakes in Bangladesh protests" (in en-GB). 23 August 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6959779.stm. 
  13. Alim, Syed Fattahul (28 August 2013). "Embattled JU VCs". The Daily Star. http://www.thedailystar.net/news/embattled-ju-vcs. 
  14. "M Anwar Hossain – Google Scholar Citations". https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ln6TTI0AAAAJ&hl=en. 
  15. Hossain, M Anwar (October 1985). "Monodehydroascorbate Reductase from Cucumber Is a Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide Enzyme". Journal of Biological Chemistry 260 (24): 12920–12926. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(17)38813-0. PMID 4055727. http://www.jbc.org/content/260/24/12920.full.pdf. Retrieved 30 December 2015. 
  16. Hossain, M. A.; Hug, E.; Hodges, T. K. (1 October 1994). "Sequence of a cDNA from Oryza sativa (L.) Encoding the Pyruvate Decarboxylase 1 Gene". Plant Physiology 106 (2): 799–800. doi:10.1104/pp.106.2.799. ISSN 1532-2548. PMID 7991697. PMC 159595. http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/106/2/799. 
  17. Hossain, M. A.; McGee, J. D.; Grover, A.; Dennis, E.; Peacock, W. J.; Hodges, T. K. (1 December 1994). "Nucleotide Sequence of a Rice Genomic Pyruvate Decarboxylase Gene That Lacks Introns: A Pseudo-Gene?". Plant Physiology 106 (4): 1697–1698. doi:10.1104/pp.106.4.1697. ISSN 1532-2548. PMID 7846174. PMC 159721. http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/106/4/1697. 
  18. Hossain, M. Anwar; Huq, Enamul; Grover, Anil; Dennis, Elizabeth S.; Peacock, W. James; Hodges, Thomas K. (1 July 1996). "Characterization of pyruvate decarboxylase genes from rice". Plant Molecular Biology 31 (4): 761–770. doi:10.1007/BF00019464. ISSN 0167-4412. PMID 8806407. 
  19. Hossain, M. Anwar; Asada, Kozi (1 October 1984). "Inactivation of Ascorbate Peroxidase in Spinach Chloroplasts on Dark Addition of Hydrogen Peroxide: Its Protection by Ascorbate". Plant and Cell Physiology 25 (7): 1285–1295. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.pcp.a076837. ISSN 0032-0781. http://pcp.oxfordjournals.org/content/25/7/1285. 
  20. Hossain, M. Anwar; Nakano, Yoshiyuki; Asada, Kozi (1 April 1984). "Monodehydroascorbate Reductase in Spinach Chloroplasts and Its Participation in Regeneration of Ascorbate for Scavenging Hydrogen Peroxide". Plant and Cell Physiology 25 (3): 385–395. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.pcp.a076726. ISSN 0032-0781. http://pcp.oxfordjournals.org/content/25/3/385. 
  21. Hossain, M. Anwar; Asada, Kozi (1 January 1984). "Purification of Dehydroascorbate Reductase from Spinach and Its Characterization as a Thiol Enzyme". Plant and Cell Physiology 25 (1): 85–92. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.pcp.a076700. ISSN 0032-0781. http://pcp.oxfordjournals.org/content/25/1/85. 
  22. "Bioresearch Communications". http://www.bioresearchcommunications.com/editorial-board.htm#.VoQHJ5OLSCQ. 
  23. (in bn)bdnews24.com. http://opinion.bdnews24.com/bangla/archives/author/d-m-anwar_hosen.