In Memory of Dr. Imdad Khan

In all earnest efforts, Divine help comes from unexpected sources.  For CLP, such help came from Dr. Imdadul Haque Khan, a renowned scientist and philanthropist. Dr. Khan’s magnanimous support gave the fledgling Computer Literacy Program a boost without which perhaps, the program would not be where it is to-day.  Dr. Khan provided support for ten of the first 20 CLP centers, the Program’s goal for 2004. In addition, he provided funds for teacher incentive pay to the CLCs he sponsored.  But, CLP is not the only noble endeavor that Dr. Khan supported, but it was one of many.

Dr. Imdad Khan, as he was commonly known, comes from the village of Amla, Kushtia, Bangladesh. He matriculated with distinction in 1945.  With brilliant results in I.Sc. from Krishnanagar College, he secured admission to both Medical College and Engineering College in Kolkata (Calcutta).  However, fate had different plans.  Fearing for his life from the violence at the time of the partition of British India, he was forced to start in Rajshahi Government College wherefrom he completed his B. Sc. (Honors) in Physics. (His wife Sitara Khan was also a student of  the Rajshahi Government College).  He then completed M. Sc. in Physics from Dhaka University. He studied at Imperial College, London on British Counsel scholarship and received  his Ph. D in Physics from there. His Ph.D. dissertation on the design of electron diffraction camera earned him the Ph.D. degree and fame. At Imperial College, he was honored to use the same table and chair to conduct his research which used before him by the famous Nobel Laureate Advisor Sir George Paget Thomson. He moved to Canada in 1959 as a Post Doctoral Fellow at the National Research Council.