Moinuddin Ahmed, a celebrated teacher of English at St Joseph Higher Secondary School, one of the premier education providers in the country, passed away on May 26, 2018 at the age of 77.
Professor Imran Rahman, former vice-chancellor and current special adviser to the Board of Trustees at University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) – who is a former student of Moinuddin Ahmed – shared his thoughts on what made Moinuddin such a successful teacher.
“He was an ideal teacher. He did not only teach the subject, but also taught us about life. He was very approachable. He treated us almost like family— during and after school.
“Every batch of students he taught, believed they were the closest to him. That’s because he made each one of us feel very special. He encouraged extracurricular activities like debate and science club,” he said.
Professor Imran fondly remembered when he and his classmates accompanied Moinuddin Ahmed to various parts of then-West Pakistan, and later to Kolkata, while still in school.
“He was our guardian, but at the same time he was very friendly. He opened our eyes to new places and experiences. Only a couple of years ago, we friends went and had breakfast at his place. This is how close we still were with him,” he said adding, “if anybody wishes to write a manual on how to be a good teacher, they should write about Moinuddin Sir’s life.”
Another former student, Mohammed Tariqul Islam, head of group HR and corporate communications at Confidence Group, struck a similar tone. He said: “Our relationship with Moinuddin Sir extended beyond the classroom. Sir understood his students’ minds, which is why we could share anything and everything with him.
“If any student had a problem, Sir was the go-to person. His guidance helped our personal development. Sir also was a great advocate for extracurricular activities of students. For instance, he was the head of the debate club of our school. He is one of the pioneers of debates in English in Bangladesh.”
Moinuddin Ahmed completed his secondary education at St Gregory’s High School, higher secondary education at Notre Dame College, and bachelor’s degree at Dhaka College.
Moinuddin Ahmed is survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter.
His daughter, Naureen Moin, who is currently pursuing her master's , said: “He is the best father a girl could ask for. As a child, I enjoyed the equal privileges and treatment as my brother.
He always encouraged us to be good human beings.”
His son, Shadab Moin, is a service holder in Australia.
Moinuddin Ahmed was invited by the Singapore government to review academic syllabi and provide his suggestions. He has also played a significant role in developing English subject curricula in Bangladesh.
