My Journey: From Dawn Light to Discovery
My story begins long before my own journeyโon a muddy village road in Bangladesh. My father walked 8 kilometers back and forth every day for five years, from grade 6 through grade 10, just to attend school.
There was no electricity at home, and fuel for a hurricane lamp was a luxury he often could not afford. So, he studied at dawn, chasing knowledge in the dim light of a new day. In 1969, he passed his matriculation exam with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Advanced Mathematics. Education transformed his life, and he instilled in me the same belief: that a pen and a dream could change everything.
I didn't walk the same 8 kilometers, but I walked the same roadโliterally and figurativelyโthrough the footprints he left behind. From a small rural school, I carried my father's dream forward, determined to step onto the global stage.
I completed my higher secondary education at Cumilla Victoria College, earned my undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Chittagong, and then took a leap beyond borders. In Stockholm, Sweden, I pursued my MS and PhD in Organic Chemistry at Stockholm University. That was the beginning of my life as a scientistโone defined by courage, curiosity, and the drive to step outside my comfort zone.
Since then, my path has taken me from academic research in Europe to leadership roles in pharmaceutical innovation in the United States. At PTC Therapeutics, I contributed to advancing treatments for rare diseases, and today, as a Staff Scientist at the University of Chicago's Center for Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, I continue to explore the chemistry of life with a focus on drug discovery.
Beyond the laboratory, I have always believed in the power of knowledge-sharing. For years, I have written in national newspapers and across social media, raising my voice for science, education, and research culture. I have also authored books designed to spark curiosity and make science accessible to young learners. These efforts are tied to a larger dream: to expand STEM education in rural areas, so that children growing up on muddy roads like the one my father once walked can see themselves as future scientists, innovators, and leaders.
In many ways, my story is not just about meโit is about carrying forward a legacy. It is about a boy who once studied by dawn light, and the son who now works to light the way for othersโthrough science, teaching, and the dream of building a stronger research culture in Bangladesh and beyond.
