Prof. Dr. Harun-Ur-Rashid

Since he took charge of the nephrology department, education, research and the community network for kidney disease have moved ahead quickly. He is credited with a remarkable improvement in the department, which rose from basic clinical nephrology to the level of transplantation. He organized the 1st live related kidney transplantation at IPGMR in Dhaka in October 1981, and he started haemodialysis in 1986 and CAPD in 1987.

In 1996 he started the postgraduate course in nephrology at IPGMR under Dhaka University. Since then, doctors in Bangladesh have received the postgraduate qualification and training (MD) in nephrology. Doctors from Nepal were also trained in nephrology in this country. Besides carrying out and guiding many research projects, he has published 156 articles in recognized journals.

He guides postgraduate students on the dissertation required for the Fellowship examination of the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS). He has also guided more than 50 theses of students enrolled for MD (nephrology) at the University of Dhaka.

His work also includes editing scientific journals. He edited the Bangladesh Renal Journal from 1981 to 2009, and the Journal of Institute of Postgraduate Medicine and Research from 1986 to 1998, where he was the Founder Editor. In 1998 he was appointed project director to establish the National Institute of Kidney Disease and Urology in Bangladesh, and he served as Founder Director of that institute from 2002 to 2003.

In 2003 he established the Kidney Foundation of Bangladesh and became its Founder President. He started a not-for-profit hospital and institute for poor and needy people of Bangladesh, for the treatment of kidney disease, dialysis and transplantation. Kidney Foundation Hospital is now the largest dialysis and transplant center in the country. The Kidney Foundation of Bangladesh is a referral center declared by the International Federation of Kidney Foundation, and it was awarded the Joel D. Copple award in 2013.

He took a pioneering role in setting up the Nephrology, Urology and Transplant society of South Asian Regional countries (SAARC) in Dhaka in 1999. He became its founder secretary general that year and its President in 2005. He also took an active part in framing the "Organ Act law in Bangladesh", which passed in parliament in July 1999.

As a member of various national and international organizations, he is responsible for communication in organizational and research activities, apart from taking part and presenting in a large number of international and national conferences. His leadership has been a source of inspiration for the Bangladesh Renal Association, the Society of Organ Transplant and the Kidney Foundation in Bangladesh.

He was awarded gold medals for his outstanding contribution in the field of nephrology in this country: by the Association of Physician of Bangladesh (SGM Chowdhury memorial oration) in 1998, by the Nephrology, Urology and Transplant society of South Asian Regional countries (SAARC) in 2005, and by Mercantile Bank Foundation in 2012.

The Bangladesh Medical Association of North America gave him a recognition award for his significant contribution in teaching, education and organization of clinical services for the advancement of nephrology care in Bangladesh. It was presented at the 33rd annual convention in Baltimore, USA, in 2013.

He is a trustee member of University of Science and Technology, which was established in 1995, and a founder trustee of the "Bangladesh Institute of Health Sciences" from 2014. He has also been an active council member of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association since 2005.

He has been Founder President of the Society of Organ Transplantation in Bangladesh since 2010. He also serves as Vice president of the newly formed "Bangladesh network of NCD control and prevention", formed in December 2015. At present he is a Council member of ISN and Co chair of the South Asian regional board of ISN, and he received the ISN pioneer award in 2017.