The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Dr M A Wazed Miah, noted nuclear scientist and Prime Minister's husband, yesterday breathed his last at 4:25pm at the Square Hospital in the capital after prolonged illness. He was 67. Dr Sanwar Hossain, surgical consultant of the hospital, said the nuclear scientist had slipped into coma and died of multiple complications.

The former chief of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dr Miah has been suffering from multiple complications including heart ailment, renal failure, diabetes and high blood pressure for a long time.

Dr Wazed has been under treatment at Square Hospital for the last one year. Earlier, he received treatment in Delhi and Singapore.

Wazed was kept under Coronary Care Unit since Wednesday as he was exposed to multiple complications including heart attack. He was kept on the pace machine eventually as no medicine was working, according to hospital source. There have been speculations over his health over the last few days after he was taken to the operating table in critical condition. His body was rejecting drugs.

Dr.Wazed was not "out of danger" though his condition slightly improved over the past two days but not to the level that could allow him to be shifted abroad for better treatment.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was at the bedside of her husband in his final moments. She along with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana rushed to the hospital at 4pm after his condition had taken a turn for the worse.

The body was taken to his Sudha Sadan home at Dhanmandi in an ambulance at 5:45pm.

No sooner had the news of the death broken out, the cabinet members, MPs and leaders and activists of political parties rushed to the hospital to get a last glimpse of Dr Wazed.

Abul Kalam Azad, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, said that his namaj-e-Janaza will be held at 10am on Sunday at the Baitul Mukarram and he would be laid to eternal rest beside the graves of his parents at his village home at Pirganj Upazila in Rangpur. The body would be kept at Baitul Mokarram Mosque for sometime to enable people to have their last glimpse of him and pay their respects. A condolence book would be opened at the official residence of the Prime Minister Jamuna at 11 am for foreign diplomats.

The body of Wazed Miah was brought back to Square Hospital and kept it to the mortury of the hospital.

Besides his wife, Dr MA Wajed Mia left behind his son Sajib Wajed Joy and daughter Saima Wajed Putul, grand sons and daughters, and a large number of relatives, admirers and well- wishers to mourn his death.

Sajib Wajed Joy is expected to come home today but it is uncertain whether Saima Wajed Putul will come or not.

Life-sketch

A nuclear scientist of international repute, Dr MA Wajed Mia, who breathed his last at a city hospital yesterday, is known more for his professional excellence in scientific arena but close friends and contemporaries were familiar to his role also as a student leader during the climax of Bengali nationalist movement in 1960s.

Several friends and contemporaries said his quality earned the position of the vice president of Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall while he was always under the affectionate shadow of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He even was arrested and served in jail for his leading role in the then 1962 students movement against Education Commission recommendations shrinking facilities for higher education.

But his academic excellence and knack for academic pursuit made him a nuclear scientist eventually installing to the top position of the country's Atomic Energy Commission after long career as a researcher and fellow at different scientific institutes and organizations in different countries including Germany and India.

"He all through tried to maintain a low profile while in personal life, led a very simple life and was an amiable person but never compromised with anything unjust," a relative earlier said.

Apart from his publications on scientific research and nuclear science, Wajed Mia also authored a number of books on social and political issues including one on the memories of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The books included Fundamentals of Electromagnetics, Fundamentals of Thermodynamics and "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib-ke Ghire Kichhu Ghatana o Bangladesh".

Born on February 16 in 1942, in a respectable Muslim family of Fatepur village under Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district, Dr Wajed was the youngest among four sons and three daughters of Abdul Quader Mia.

He studied up to class four at the primary school at his village and then up to class six at a high school under the Pirganj thana.

He obtained his matriculation with distinction from Rangpur Government District School in Rangpur district in 1956 in first division and was admitted to Rajshahi Science College from where he passed the Higher Secondary Certificate examination securing second position in merit list.

Wajed Mia was admitted to Physics Department of Dhaka University in 1958 and obtained first class first in B. Sc (hons) in 1961 and first class first in M.Sc in 1962 from same university.

He joined the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission on April 9 in 1963. He obtained his 'Diploma from Imperial College of London in 1963- 64.

Mia returned home in September 1967 after obtaining his PhD degree in Physics from Durham University of the United Kingdom and joined as scientific officer at Atomic Energy Research Centre in Dhaka.

Later, he was engaged in post-doctoral research from November 1969 to 1970 in London.

Mia tied his nuptial cord with Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on November 17 in 1967. They have a son and a daughter - Sajib Wajed Joy and Saima Wajed Putul.

In 1969 he got the associate-ship of Italy-based

International Theoretical Physics Research Centre of Nobel Laureate Professor Dr Salam where he was engaged in a research project under the world- renowned scientist.

In the same year he returned home and remained engaged with Atomic Energy research Centre.

In 1975 he was in the then West Germany to undergo higher training on atomic reactor science while his wife Sheikh Hasina was with her at that time and thus evaded the August 15, 1975 carnage.

He was engaged in research works at the New Delhi-based laboratory of Indian Atomic Energy Commission from 1975 to 1982, the period he actually was forced to leave an exiled life after the killing of Bangabandhu along with most of his family members.

On return home, he rejoined the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and retired as its chairman in 1999.

The body of Dr. Wazed Miah was brought back to Square Hospital.