M. A. Wazed Miah (6 February 1942 – 9 May 2009) was a Bangladeshi physicist and
the writer of a number of texts in physics and some political history books,
a former Chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and husband of
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Early life:
Wazed Miah was born on 16 February 1942 in the village of Fatehpur (Miah Bari)
at Pirganj, Rangpur District. His father was Abdul Quader Miah and mother was
Moyzunnessa. He was the youngest among three sisters and four brothers.
To get the best education, from Class Five he was sent to board at Rangpur Zila School,
from where he ultimately passed Matriculation in First Division with Distinction.
After passing the HSC exam, in 1958, he followed in the footsteps of his eldest sister's
son, physicist Abdul Qayyum Sarker, and took admittance into the Department of Physics,
Dhaka University. In 1961 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in physics and
in 1962 he finished his Master of Science. He completed the Diploma of
Imperial College London Course in 1963–64. In 1967 he received his Doctor of
Philosophy degree in physics from Durham University, England. His thesis was on
the bootstrap hypothesis in theoretical particle physics, and he worked under
Professor E. J. Squires.
Political career:
From 1961 to 1962 he was the Vice-President of the Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall unit East Pakistan
Muslim Chhatra League (currently known as Bangladesh Chhatra League) at University of
Dhaka. He was arrested for movement against education commission and was imprisoned in
1962. He never played any active official role in the Awami League after his marriage to
Sheikh Hasina.
Professional career:
On 1 April 1963, Miah found employment with the Pakistan
Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), initially attached to the Atomic Energy
Research Center (AERC) in Karachi. In 1969, Miah got an associateship at the
International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy. In the same year, he
returned home to Pakistan and continued with the AERC. In Karachi, Miah was
the chief scientist at the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant but had his security
security clearance revoked, that led to termination of his contract and his
migration to Bangladesh.
He was engaged in research work at the New Delhi-based laboratory of the Atomic Energy
Commission of India during 1975–1982, during the period of exile of the remainder of the
Mujib family after the bloody 15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état. After his return to
Bangladesh, he joined the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, and retired as its
chairman in 1999.
Personal life:
Miah married Sheikh Hasina, eldest daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on
17 November 1967. They have a son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and a daughter Saima Wazed Putul.
Death:
Miah died on 9 May 2009. He had for long suffered from high blood pressure, heart disease,
kidney failure, diabetes, and asthma. He had a bypass operation a few years earlier and
an angioplasty in Singapore only a few months before his death. He was buried at a family graveyard in his native village at Pirganj, Rangpur.
Legacy:
A science building in Rajshahi University previously named as 4th Science Building is
recently renamed after him as Dr. M Wazed Miah Academic Building. A science and
technology building is named after him in Shahjalal University of Science and Technology.
An academic building is built in his memory in Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and
Technology University.
Publications:
Fundamentals Of Thermodynamics by MA Wazed Miah (University Press, Dhaka, 1988)
Fundamentals of Electromagnetics by MA Wazed Miah (Tata-McGraw-Hill, 1982)
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibke Ghire Kichhu Ghatana O Bangladesh (A Bangla Memoirs)
Bangladesher Rajniti O Sarkarer Chalchitra (A Bangla Memoirs)
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