Professor Musharrof Husain Khan, popularly known as M. H. Khan, is undoubtedly one of the most illustrious personalities in the history of higher education in Bangladesh. It is through his significant contribution to academia, policymaking, and institution building that he has made an everlasting impact on the field of education in the country. Whether it was being the vice chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) or establishing Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST), Khan devoted his life to nation-building through higher education. He passed away on July 7, 2026.
Khan was born on July 17, 1933 in Dhaka under British colonial rule. Inspired to be disciplined by his father, who was a civil servant, and appreciating the importance of learning from his mother, who was a homemaker, he grew up in an era of political instability and social transformation. Khan received his matriculation from State High School, Rajnandgaon in 1949, and sat for his intermediate exams under Dhaka College in 1951. His aptitude for mathematics and mechanics drove him to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ahsanullah Engineering College (now Buet) in 1955. Being interested in the standards of education in other parts of the world, Khan pursued further education in the US, obtaining his master’s degree (1962) and PhD (1964) in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Khan’s teaching career began as a lecturer at Ahsanullah Engineering College in December 1956. Due to his hardworking nature, knack for logical thinking, and inspiring personality, he quickly earned a professorship and later took on several administrative positions. With his research on fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, Khan became a leading voice in his field, both domestically and internationally. Between 1987 and 1991, Khan served as the fifth vice chancellor of Buet. During his tenure, the institution’s emphasis on research, academic excellence, and development was noteworthy. He established a solid research infrastructure for the faculty and students, and modernised the academic facilities of the university.
Subsequently, Khan undertook the task of building an educational institution from scratch. In his role as founding vice-chancellor of AUST, he joined the Dhaka Ahsania Mission, a renowned charity organisation, in 1995. The objective behind his work with the university was to offer a superior level of education in engineering, science, and business at an affordable cost. With his leadership, AUST became one of the best private universities in the country, graduating thousands of students and training faculty members. Being a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Khan also contributed to the government’s decision-making regarding higher education and quality assurance.
His lifetime dedication gained him several awards at both national and international levels. For instance, in 2018, he became a chief guest at the well-known Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah Memorial Lecture event and received many honorary plaques, citations, and medals during his lifetime.
As a teacher and administrator, Khan’s integrity and visionary leadership helped him guide generations of highly successful engineers, academicians, and policymakers. His life is truly an example of the power of dedication and academic excellence in creating enduring pillars of knowledge.
Through his work at Buet, AUST, and UGC, Professor M. H. Khan laid the very foundations of engineering education in Bangladesh, which will undoubtedly prove to be even more essential in our future as a nation rooted in knowledge, skills, and innovation.
Mohammad Rukanuddin is assistant professor of English at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Dhaka.
Views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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