Professor Md Khairul Islam Khan breathed his last today at Dhaka University Teacher’s Dormitory around 6:15PM. May his soul rest in peace. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun. 

Professor Khairul Islam Khan was the former Dean, 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 Bangladesh Physical Education Association in 2016. He started his career at 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 Delegation at Athens in 2011 and at Thailand in 2013 and in the same year, as the Deputy Head of 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, 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 German Institute of Physical Culture (DHFK) at East Germany in 1974 and completed 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. 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.