Syed Safiullah (25 December 1945 – 11 June 2016)[1][2][3][4] was a Bangladeshi academic of Chemistry. He was a professor in the Faculty of Mathematical & Physical Sciences at Jahangirnagar University (JU), Bangladesh. He was widely recognized for his research and innovation of Shushama fertilizer and fish feed, Safi Filter, and Safi Fuel. Among other positions, he was the former professor of chemistry and founder chairperson of environmental sciences department and Institute of Life Science at Jahangirnagar University (JU). His areas of interest covered environmental, material, synthetic, and applied chemistry. Safiullah is known for his work on arsenic pollution investigations,[5] organic matter characterizations[6] and environmental chemistry.

Syed Safiullah
Professor Safiullah was the former professor of chemistry and founder chairperson of environmental sciences department at Jahangirnagar University (JU)
Born(1945-12-25)December 25, 1945
DiedJune 11, 2016(2016-06-11) (aged 70)
Alma mater
OfficeProfessor of the Jahangirnagar University
Termr. 1972–2012

Safiullah was a Fellow of TWAS, the World Academy of Sciences, as well as a Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences. He was a fellow of the international union of pure and applied chemistry (IUPAC) and he was the first fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK from the Jahangirnagar University.

Early life and education edit

Safiullah was born in Bagerhat District, Bangladesh in 1945. He received his early education in Khulna Zilla School, and Comilla Victoria Government College. Safiullah received his BSc, and MSc degrees from the Department of Chemistry, Dhaka University in 1965 and 1966 respectively. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1971 from the University College London, in the UK. In UCL, he worked on organometallic chemistry. He was a Commonwealth Scholar in the UK.[citation needed]

Awards edit

For his contribution to synthetic chemistry and discovery of the biogeochemical signatures for bimodal degradation in the flood plains of Bangladesh, he was awarded the Gold Medal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (Senior group) and the TWAS (Italy) in 1986.[citation needed]

Publications edit

Professor Safiullah authored more than 250 original research papers, reviews, and 25 books on the frontiers of science, quantum consciousness, and environment related fields. His work has been published in scientific journals including: Nature,[7] American Geophysical Union[8] and Elsevier. He has published numerous articles on science, society and the environment. He has also published three books on poetry in the English language.

References edit

  1. ^ "JU recalls Prof Syed Safiullah". The Daily Star. 7 August 2016.
  2. ^ "অধ্যাপক সফিউল্লাহর সঠিক মূল্যায়ন হয়নি". প্রথম আলো (in Bengali).
  3. ^ Correspondent, J. U. "Prof Shafiullah passes away | The Asian Age Online, Bangladesh". The Asian Age.
  4. ^ "Obituary". The Daily Star. 12 June 2016.
  5. ^ Tareq, Shafi M.; Safiullah, S.; Anawar, H.M.; Rahman, M.Majibur; Ishizuka, T. (September 2003). "Arsenic pollution in groundwater: a self-organizing complex geochemical process in the deltaic sedimentary environment, Bangladesh". Science of the Total Environment. 313 (1–3): 213–226. Bibcode:2003ScTEn.313..213T. doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(03)00266-3. PMID 12922072.
  6. ^ Ittekkot, Venugopala; Safiullah, Syed; Arain, Rafee (December 1986). "Nature of organic matter in rivers with deep sea connections: The Ganges-Brahmaputra and Indus". Science of the Total Environment. 58 (1–2): 93–107. Bibcode:1986ScTEn..58...93I. doi:10.1016/0048-9697(86)90080-X.
  7. ^ Ittekkot, V.; Safiullah, S.; Mycke, B.; Seifert, R. (1 October 1985). "Seasonal variability and geochemical significance of organic matter in the River Ganges, Bangladesh". Nature. 317 (6040): 800–802. Bibcode:1985Natur.317..800I. doi:10.1038/317800a0. S2CID 4329607.
  8. ^ McArthur, J. M.; Ravenscroft, P.; Safiulla, S.; Thirlwall, M. F. (January 2001). "Arsenic in groundwater: Testing pollution mechanisms for sedimentary aquifers in Bangladesh". Water Resources Research. 37 (1): 109–117. Bibcode:2001WRR....37..109M. doi:10.1029/2000WR900270. S2CID 10947473.