Jamal Nazrul Islam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jamal Nazrul Islam
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| জামাল নজরুল ইসলাম | |
Islam in 2012 in Chittagong
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| Born | 24 February 1939 Jhenaidah, Bengal Province, Bangladesh
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| Died | 16 March 2013 (aged 74) Chittagong, Bangladesh
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| Resting place | Garibullah Shah Mazar Graveyard |
| Education | DSc (1982) PhD (1964) MSc (1960) BSc (1959) |
| Alma mater | Chattogram Collegiate School University of Cambridge University of Calcutta |
| Known for | The Ultimate Fate of the Universe Classical General Relativity Proceedings of the Conference on Classical (Non-Quantum) General Relativity Rotating Fields in General Relativity Black hole theory Cosmology equation An Introduction to Mathematical Cosmology |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | full list |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Theoretical physics Applied mathematics Mathematical physics Cosmology General relativity Quantum field theory |
Jamal Nazrul Islam (born February 24, 1939 – died March 16, 2013) was a brilliant scientist from Bangladesh. He was a mathematical physicist and a cosmologist. This means he studied how the universe works using math and physics.
He taught at the University of Chittagong. He also helped guide other universities like Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology. He was also in charge of the Research Center for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (RCMPS) at the University of Chittagong. For his amazing work, the government of Bangladesh gave him the Ekushey Padak award in 2000.
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Early Life and Education
Jamal Nazrul Islam was born on February 24, 1939, in Jhenaidah, Bangladesh. His family's original home was in Jujkhola Narayanhat, Fatikchhari Upazila, Chittagong District. His father, Khan Bahadur Sirajul Islam, was a sub-judge during the time of British India.
Because of his father's job, Jamal spent his early school years in Calcutta. He studied at Chittagong Collegiate School and College until ninth grade. Then he moved to Lawrence College, Murree in West Pakistan to finish his higher school exams.
He earned a BSc degree from St. Xavier's College, Calcutta at the University of Calcutta. In 1959, he received honors in Functional Mathematics and Theoretical Physics from Cambridge University. He completed his master's degree in 1960. As a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, he finished the Cambridge Mathematical Tripos, which is a very difficult math exam. He earned his PhD in applied mathematics and theoretical physics from Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1968. Later, he received a DSc degree in 1982.
Academic Career and Research
Jamal Nazrul Islam worked at the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy in Cambridge from 1967 to 1971. This institute later joined with the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge. After that, he worked as a researcher at the California Institute of Technology and the University of Washington in the United States.
From 1973 to 1974, he was a professor of Applied Mathematics at King's College London. In 1978, he joined the faculty of City University London. He stayed there until 1984, when he decided to return to Chittagong, Bangladesh. In 2006, the University of Chittagong made him a Professor Emeritus, which is a special title for retired professors who are highly respected.
His research focused on many important areas of science. These included applied mathematics, theoretical physics, and mathematical physics. He also studied gravitation, general relativity (Einstein's theory of gravity), mathematical cosmology (the study of the universe's origin and future), and quantum field theory (the study of tiny particles).
Professor Islam wrote or helped write over 50 scientific articles and books. He also wrote popular articles for different science journals. Besides his scientific writings, he wrote books in Bengali. Some of his well-known Bengali books include Black Hole, "The Mother Tongue, Scientific Research and other Articles," and "Art, Literature and Society."
In 1997, he was invited to an important meeting called the International Symposium on Mathematical Physics. This event was held in Kolkata, India, and honored famous scientists like Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Abdus Salam.
Important Fellowships
Professor Jamal Nazrul Islam was recognized by many important scientific groups. Being a fellow means he was chosen as a special member because of his achievements.
- Third World Academy of Science (1985)
- Cambridge Philosophical Society
- Royal Astronomical Society
- Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (1983)
- Islamic Academy of Sciences
Personal Life and Interests
Jamal Nazrul Islam deeply loved his home country, Bangladesh. After earning his PhD and DSc degrees abroad, he chose to return to Bangladesh following its independence war in 1971. He often told others to come back to their homeland after finishing their studies in other countries.
He had a wife and two daughters, who were with him when he passed away. In his free time, he enjoyed singing songs by the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore. He was also interested in Sufism, which is a spiritual path in Islam. Beyond his scientific work, he was a social activist who cared deeply about helping to reduce poverty in Bangladesh.
Death
Jamal Nazrul Islam passed away on March 16, 2013, in Chittagong. He was 74 years old. He had been admitted to the hospital two days before his death due to diabetes and other health problems.
Three funeral prayers were held for him. The first was at the Chittagong University mosque. The second was at Shaheed Minar, a monument. The last prayer was held near Garibullah Shah Mazar, where he was buried after the afternoon prayer.
Awards
Professor Jamal Nazrul Islam received several prestigious awards for his contributions to science:
- Gold award from Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (Senior group; 1985)
- Medal Lecture award from Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze (1998)
- Bangladesh National Award for Science and Technology (1998)
- Ekushey Padak (2000)
- Razzak-Shamsun Lifetime Achievement Award in Physics from the University of Dhaka (2011)
Books by Jamal Nazrul Islam
Here are some of the important books that Jamal Nazrul Islam wrote or helped to edit:
- Islam, J.N. (1983): The Ultimate Fate of the Universe. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England. ISBN: 978-0-521-11312-0. (A digital version was published in 2009).
- Bonnor, W.B., Islam, J.N., MacCallum, M.A.H. (eds.)(1983): Classical General Relativity: Proceedings of the Conference on Classical (Non-Quantum) General Relativity, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England. ISBN: 0-521-26747-1.
- Islam, J.N. (1985): Rotating Fields in General Relativity, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England. ISBN: 978-0-521-11311-3. (A digital version was published in 2009).
- Islam, J.N. (1992, 2nd edition 2002): An Introduction to Mathematical Cosmology, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England. ISBN: 0-521-49973-9.
