BRAC University organized a memorial in honor of Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, who served as pro-vice-chancellor from 2005 to 2009 and was formerly deputy executive director of BRAC and managing editor of The Daily Star, at the Merul Badda campus in Dhaka today (5 March 2026), a press release said.
Dr Salehuddin passed away on 19 February 2026 while undergoing treatment in the United States. He was 79 and is survived by his wife, two daughters, and many well-wishers.
Shortly after completing his PhD in economics in Ukraine—then part of the Soviet Union—he returned home and joined BRAC, committing his intellect and energy for nearly 25 years to an institution that would become his life’s work.
Reminiscing about those days, Ahmed Mushtaque Raza Chowdhury, member of the Board of Trustees of BRAC University, said Dr Salehuddin’s interest in research was “enormous”.
Dr Salehuddin was perfectly suited to take BRAC’s evidence-based agenda forward during the NGO’s formative years, added Chowdhury.
Dr Salehuddin had a passion for education and was a lifelong learner, said Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, founder and adviser of the BRAC Institute of Languages at BRAC University.
He was a brave and adventurous person, taking to learning Mandarin in his later years and subsequently living in China for two years before returning home to teach the language, she added.
Dr Salehuddin helped shape BRAC University in the same way a potter moulds a lump of clay, said Fuad Hassan Mollick, dean of the School of Architecture and Design at BRAC University.
He knew how to smile and deal with people, he added.
Dr Salehuddin helped young minds thrive during the early years of BRAC and BRAC University, and more people like him are needed, said Imran Matin, executive director of the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development.
He was a very accessible person and was able to facilitate solutions right on the spot, said Dr Erum Mariam, executive director of the BRAC Institute of Educational Development.
Dr Salehuddin was among the first to facilitate global collaborations at BRAC University and built not only people but also institutions, said Professor Dr Md Golam Samdani Fakir, director of the Learning and Teaching Innovation Center at BRAC University.
Attendees at the memorial offered prayers for the salvation of his soul and later broke their fast together at the BRAC University Annual Iftar.
Khairul Basher, director of the Office of Communications at BRAC University, moderated the event.
