Professor AHM Mustafizur Rahman honoured with French Knighthood of the Order of Merit

Photo: Courtesy

The esteemed Professor AHM Mustafizur Rahman, a former teacher of the Department of Soil, Water and Environment at Dhaka University, has been awarded the "Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite".

This distinguished honour, one of the key accolades bestowed by the French government, was presented to Professor Rahman in recognition of his groundbreaking research.

Professor Rahman's work in partnership with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), a leading French state research organisation, has significantly contributed to boosting crop production through biological means. He also worked on climate change and food security.

On Thursday (22 June), the French Ambassador to Bangladesh, Marie Masdupuy, bestowed the honour upon AHM Mustafizur Rahman on behalf of the President of France in a ceremony held at her residence in Gulshan. The event was attended by embassy officials, former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof SMA Faiz, Vice-Chancellor Eastern University Prof Dr Shaheed Aktar, as well as past and present Dhaka University faculty. Professor Rahman's family and several diplomatic, social, and cultural activists were also in attendance.

Ambassador Marie Masdupuy shared her thoughts on the occasion, stating, "The bond between Bangladesh and France is indeed strong and vibrant, particularly seen in the striking parallels in our respective arts and cultures. Today is a significant day. I am filled with pride as we honour Mustafizur Rahman. This honour, I believe, will further foster the relationships between our two nations in various sectors, notably education and scientific research."

Professor AHM Mustafizur Rahman, overwhelmed by the honour, said, "Receiving this award is a great honour for me. The support of the French Embassy has been instrumental in fostering the collaboration between CNRS and Dhaka University, which has endured for 40 years."

He added, "Our work aims to enhance crop production via biological means. To augment crop production, we have isolated certain nitrogen-fixing bacteria from the soil."

Professor SMA Faiz, Professor Shaheed Aktar, Professor Dr Zullur Rahman, Mister Rakib Uddin Ahmed, and former President Dua congratulated Professor Mustafizur Rahman on receiving the prestigious award.

Following the ceremony, the French Ambassador hosted a dinner in honour of the guests. Among those in attendance were Ilias Kanchan, Shaheen Samad, Sujit Mostafa, Munmun Ahmed, and others.