Dr. A. K. M. Hafiz: A Life Measured in Compassion

By Bulbul Hasan:

Some lives leave ripples; others leave radiance. Dr. A. K. M. Hafiz was one whose presence quietly brightened every space he entered — through his kindness, intellect, and profound belief in the goodness of people. To those who knew him, he was more than a physician; he was a healer in the truest sense — of bodies, of spirits, of communities.
Professor Hafiz — a revered physician, visionary educator, and compassionate soul — passed away peacefully at United Hospital, Dhaka, on October 31, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones. He was 74. With his passing, Sylhet and indeed Bangladesh have lost one of their most distinguished sons — a man whose heart beat for humanity and whose life’s work was a testament to service, intellect, and love.
Born on December 4, 1950, in Sunamganj, to Dr. Azizur Rahman and Syeda Zakia Khatun, Dr. Hafiz was the third of seven siblings in a family steeped in education and public service. His early life, marked by his father’s government postings across Bangladesh, taught him adaptability and empathy — values that would later define his personal and professional ethos. From the classrooms of Rangpur, Sunamganj, and Comilla to Daulatpur Muhsin High School in Khulna, he carried with him a curiosity for knowledge and a deep sense of purpose.
That purpose took root at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, where he entered as a young medical student in Batch 7 and graduated in 1973 with his MBBS degree. What began as a calling to heal became a lifelong mission that touched thousands of lives. Dr. Hafiz went on to serve the same institution as a devoted physician, professor, and later as Head of the Department of ENT — a position through which he trained and inspired generations of doctors. His students and colleagues remember him not only for his clinical brilliance but also for his compassion, humility, and unwavering ethical standards.
In later years, he continued to serve as Professor and Head of ENT at North East Medical College and Hospital, and as Founder and Director of the institution. His influence reached beyond medicine — he was twice elected President of the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), Sylhet Division (1997–2001), and his leadership helped shape the medical community with integrity and progressiveness.
But to define Dr. Hafiz merely by his professional accomplishments would be to overlook the vastness of his humanity. A philanthropist in the truest sense, he gave quietly but generously — providing healthcare for those who could not afford it, establishing a school in his ancestral village of Rangarchar, Sunamganj, and creating scholarship programmes for bright students from underprivileged backgrounds. His vision for an educated, equitable Bangladesh was matched only by his compassion for the struggling and the poor.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to medical science and service to humanity, Dr. Hafiz received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 17th National Congress of Otolaryngology in Dhaka in 2019 — a fitting tribute to a life lived in service of others.
Beyond his professional excellence, Dr. Hafiz was a man of great warmth, curiosity, and liberal spirit. As a family man, he cherished every bond deeply. His home in Sylhet’s Housing Estate was a sanctuary of hospitality, where laughter, conversation, and compassion intertwined. Every visit to him was an occasion for reflection and joy — filled with thoughtful discussions about life, medicine, politics, and the world at large. He was deeply patriotic, progressive in outlook, and believed that true faith lay in serving humanity.
Even in leisure, he radiated vitality — tending to his gardens with a green thumb, organising reunions for his beloved medical college batchmates, or watching cricket with youthful enthusiasm. His optimism was infectious, his kindness disarming. For those of us privileged to know him, Dr. Hafiz was not only a brilliant physician but also a friend, mentor, and moral compass — a man who treated every human being with the same love and respect he extended to his own family.

He is survived by his devoted wife and companion of 47 years, Mrs. Naim Fatema, former Headmistress of MC College Shishu Bidyalaya, Sylhet — a partnership built on shared values of learning, compassion, and quiet strength. Together, they raised three accomplished children who carry forward his spirit of dedication and integrity.
Their eldest, Dr. Ahsan Md. Hafiz, serves as Associate Professor and Head of Neurosurgery at Uttara Adhunik Hospital, alongside his wife, Dr. Reehum Haque, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Medical College for Women, Uttara. Their middle child, Nujhat Sadia Hafiz, is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Fashion Design at RTM Al-Kabir Technical University, while their youngest, Dr. Nashid Sabrina Hafiz, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, married to Mahi Hoque, CPA, Senior Manager at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Dr. Hafiz’s later years were illuminated by the laughter and affection of his three beloved grandsons — Ahyan (11), Rishan (7), and Kiyaan (5) — whose joy and innocence brought him immeasurable happiness. They were, in his words and deeds, the living continuation of the love and purpose that defined his life.
Dr. Hafiz’s life was a mosaic of compassion, intellect, and devotion — to his patients, his family, his country, and his Creator. His passing leaves an irreplaceable void, but his spirit lives on in the countless lives he healed, the minds he inspired, and the causes he championed. Those who had the privilege of sitting across from him — whether in his clinic or his garden in Sylhet — will forever remember his gentle voice, his keen intellect, and his unshakable belief in the goodness of humankind.
His passing leaves behind a quiet ache — a sense that something gentle and good has gone from the world. Yet, in the lives he healed, the minds he shaped, and the kindness he sowed, his light continues to live.
As we bid farewell to this extraordinary man, we take solace in knowing that his legacy endures — not just in the halls of medicine, but in the hearts of all who were touched by his humanity.