Mohammad Shah Alam Chowdhury
The founder of Dhaka International University (DIU), Dhaka is Dr. A.B.M. Mafizul Islam Patwari. He was a Professor of the Department of Law, University of Dhaka.
He was truly an academician. He was the author of more than 20 books and 35 articles on different branches of Law.
Dr. Patwari studied and conducted research in various fields at different universities both at home and abroad. As a research scholar he worked on human rights at London School of Economics.
He also worked at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London. His main areas of concentration were International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
Dr. Patwari was the President of Humanist and Ethical Association of Bangladesh, which is affiliated to the International Humanist and Ethical Union, Utrecht, the Netherlands. He was also the editor of Human Rights and Development Review, published by the said association.
He participated in many international workshops and conferences in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and India. He also attended different sessions of the working groups on ‘Indigenous People and
Slavery’ sponsored by the United Nations.
He was a successful entrepreneur. In addition to Dhaka International University (DIU), Dhaka, he was the founder of Technical and Vocational Education Institute, Dhaka; Dr. Z.I. Chowdhury Agriculture Training and Research Institute, Gaibandha; Dr. M.I. Patwari Technical and Vocational Education Institute, Rangpur; Advocate Rokaya Begum Model School, Rangpur; Mollickjan Primary School, Gaibandha and Abdul Kader Model High School, Gaibandha.
The above organizations generated employment opportunities for about four hundred personnel. He used to contribute funds to different schools, colleges, madrasas, mosques and orphanages.
Dr. Patwari was a man with
versatile qualities. Apart from
being an academician, he was a humanist, philanthropist and a successful entrepreneur. He was introvert in nature and did not like to be exposed.
Professor Patwari is such a personality that for those who know him, no words are necessary and for those who do not know him, no words will suffice.
He is sorely missed by those who know him. He is in the heart of Dhaka International University (DIU) family and he cannot be forgotten and we always find him in our existence.
Mohammad Shah Alam Chowdhury is an Associate Professor, Dhaka International University, and Founder CEO, Bangladesh Center for
Research and Planning.
