Prof AK Azad made UGC chairman

Prof Dr AK Azad Chowdhury, former vice chancellor of Dhaka University, has been appointed the Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh for a period of four years.
The education ministry has issued a circular yesterday and sent it to the persons concerned.
This is for the first time, a proposal for giving the UGC chairman of the status of a state minister has been sent to the cabinet division. The status of the incumbent chairman is equivalent to a secretary of the government, major general in Army, Navy and Air Force, as per the warrant of precedence.
The education ministry has sent the proposal to the cabinet secretary to take necessary steps to give him the status, said sources.
The proposal said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has approved the proposal of appointing Prof Chowdhury as the chairman of UGC with the status of a state minister considering his freethinking and progressiveness, expansion of overall education, contribution in strengthening the spirit of the liberation war and his reputation, efficiency and seniority in the workplace.
A professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology department of Dhaka University, Dr Chowdhury will replace Prof Nazrul Islam, incumbent chairman of UGC, whose tenure will end on May 6.
Dr Chowdhury's appointment order would be effective from his joining date to the post, reads the circular.