BAG

BSc MSc PhD CChem MRSC MBE

Born and grown up in Chittagong, Bangladesh, later settled in Glasgow, UK, Dr. Nirmal Dhar is decorated with various degrees, awards and grants for his research, academic, cultural and humanitarian works for the last 50 years. He is currently volunteering as an adviser of Bangladesh Association Glasgow.

Nirmal is living in Glasgow with his wife Anita. They have two sons. Arup Dhar, is a Consultant Psychiatrist, Monash Health and Deputy Director of Clinical Research, Neuro Centrix based in Melbourne, Australia and Arnab Dhar (LLB) is a Product Manager, Inter Continental Exchange (ICE) in London, UK.

He was one of five members research team of technology that has invented the drug Atracurium, a neuromuscular blocking agent (muscle relaxant), in 1974 while working in the Department of Pharmacy at Strathclyde University, Glasgow, Scotland. The drug was patented in 1975, took nine years to come to the market in 1983 and currently in worldwide use in a wide range of surgical procedures. Dr. Dhar, as member of the team that developed the drug, received the Queen’s Award for this Technological Advancement in 1986. He has retired early in 1994 and continued his research work at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Strathclyde for further 4 years as Honorary Research Associate.

Dr. Dhar. Has devoted his time and effort for the community members of all backgrounds irrespective of their ethnic and religious background.

He has been carrying out a number of activities including Bangladesh liberation war during the period from 1971 to date for the cause of the members of the community living in West of Scotland. He has been serving the community members living in and around the city of Glasgow for the last 50 years through a number of Glasgow based community organisations like Bangladeshi Association, Bengali Performing Arts, Bangla Centre and Dawaatul Islam in his capacity as Member, General Secretary, Treasurer and as President of these organisations.

He has played an active but significant role in establishing Glasgow’s Bangladeshi Mosque, Dawaatul Islam. His role was to help the community in many ways such as assisting newly arrived students, migrants and people arriving from other parts of the UK and to connect these people with the people of local community, promote social cohesion, cultural diversity, community integration with the wider diverse community.

Dr. Dhar has been actively involved in a number of fundraising activities to help the victims of natural disaster like flood, tsunami, cyclone and earthquake in the Indian sub-continent. He has held the position of project manager of Bengali Performing Arts from 1996 – 2012 and as Vice President from 2013 - 2018. During this period he was relentlessly trying not only to address the issue of cultural diversity and community integration but also promote the idea of living in peace and harmony with others in a culturally diverse society of ours by organising year-round ongoing quality programmes.

He received the Royal Award MBE (Member of the Order of British Empire) for his last 50 years voluntary services to enhance the community cohesion in the West of Scotland by organising year round fundraising to support victims of natural disaster, cultural, recreational, and social events. His Investiture for this award was held at Buckingham Palace, London on 13 February 2015.