SB Online Desk:

I used to see my mother teaching the Qur’an to the children every day. Religious education is left to the mother. Along with religious education, I found purpose in real life from her. My mother always told me to pay attention to my studies and pray. Then one day I will become a human being and brighten the face of society. I am here today because my mother, she was the inspiration behind my bag of achievements. Former Vice-Chancellor (Acting) of Bangladesh Agricultural University, prof. Dr Abdul Awal who is unique in education, various research, and human service work was telling his story, represented by Shobuj Bangladesh24.

 

Prof. Dr. Awal was born in 1963 in a Muslim family of Brahmanbaria. He is the eldest of five siblings. Although the mother’s love is equal for all children, Dr. Awal was a little more adored. He grew up with everyone’s discipline and love. He had a special interest in studies since childhood. While being a student, he took responsibility for his family as well as his studies. He was an inspiration for the higher education of his younger siblings.

 

To spread the light of education, he built a women’s madrasa at Sutiakhali in Mymensingh with his funding. 105 non-resident students come to study here. There is a permanent accommodation for the students. the residential building was named Rajia Khatun Bhavan after his mother name.  Prof. Dr. Awal has taken many initiatives to reach the light of education in that region.

Prof. Dr. Awal said ‘I was serious about education since childhood.  As I was from a joint family,  my cousins and I all studied together at the same table. Once my uncle saw fridge and TV in the house of an agriculturist who studied at BAU. So, He decided that I must become an agriculturist too. Since then, he has given me motivation to study agriculture. I studied till high school with the help of my father and uncle. In 1978, I got 4th place on merit list in the secondary examination and in 1980 I got second place in the higher secondary examination. Later I obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (BSc) from BAU in 1984 and an MS in Anatomy (Post Graduate) in 1989. In 1988, I joined as a lecturer in the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.’

Prof. Dr. Awal was very talented in studies. He conducts research programs with various grants from the country and abroad and has been conferred with various awards including the Presidential Award. Dr. Awal received his Ph.D. from Yamaguchi University, Japan in 1996. Later, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Tokyo University and Kagoshima University in Japan.

Prof. Dr. Awal was given the routine responsibility of the Vice-Chancellor to manage the day-to-day administrative and financial activities of the university after ending term of the 24th Vice-Chancellor. He served as Dean of Veterinary Faculty from 3rd October 2022. Apart from this, he successfully served in various administrative positions at the university including head of department, and hall provost.