Uttara University former dean Prof Khairul Islam Khan passes away

Renowned Professor Md Khairul Islam Khan passed away today at approximately 6:15pm at Dhaka University teacher's dormitory.

Professor Khairul Islam Khan was the former Dean of the school of Education & Physical Education at Uttara University.

He pioneered the introduction of the Post Graduate course in Physical Education (MPEd) in Bangladesh and received a lifetime achievement award from the Bangladesh Physical Education Association in 2016, reads a press release.

He started his career at the Government College of Physical Education, Dhaka in 1968. Later, in 1971, he worked as the Head of the Physical Education Department at Jahangirnagar University for 35 years.
 
Professor Khan engaged as the Head of the Athletics Team of Bangladesh Inter-University Sports Association in the "World University Games" held in Japan in 1985, Germany in 1989 and China in 2001.

He also represented Bangladesh as the Head of the Delegation at Athens in 2011 and at Thailand in 2013 and in the same year, as the Deputy Head of the Delegation of the Bangladesh team in the "Special Olympics World Games" held in Australia and at USA in 2015.

He has written several books on Sports Science and Physical Education. Some of his noteworthy books are Krira Proshikkhon Biggan, Sharirik Shikkhar Shikkhadan Poddhoti and Sharirik Shikkhar Tottho O Niti. He participated in numerous seminars and symposiums both at home and abroad.

Professor Khan was born in 1944, to a noble Muslim family in the city of Jangipur, Murshidabad. He passed his Intermediate from Jangipur College in 1961, graduated from Calcutta University in 1964, and completed his Bachelor of Physical Education BPEd from Govt Physical Education College, Dhaka in 1968. He earned a Diploma-in-Coaching in Football from the German Institute of Physical Culture (DHFK) in East Germany in 1974 and completed a Master of Physical Education MPEd from the University of Bangalore, India in 1988. 

His impact and contribution towards Uttara University since its inception has been immeasurable, reads a press release.

He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Olympia Institute of Physical Education (OIPE) under DAR Trust (Dr Azizur Rahman Trust), which subsequently evolved into the Physical Education department of Uttara University, and was a close associate of the institution's founder, Dr M Azizur Rahman and the incumbent Vice-Chancellor Professor Eaysmin Ara Lekha.