His life
National Professor Brig. (Retd.) Abdul Malik, a trailblazer in cardiovascular health, was born on 1 December 1929 in Pashchimbhag village, Sylhet district. He lost his father, Md. Furkan Ali, at an early age; his mother, Syeda Nurunnesa Khatun, played a crucial role in shaping his success.
A brilliant student, Professor Malik earned a government scholarship while at school. He completed his MBBS from Dhaka Medical College in 1954. His academic journey continued with MRCP (UK), FRCP (Glasgow), FRCP (Edinburgh), FCPS (Bangladesh), FCCP (USA) and FACC (USA).
Joining the Pakistan Army Medical Corps in June 1955, he pursued higher training in cardiology at Hammersmith Hospital and the Postgraduate Medical School, London. Returning in 1966, he established a cardiac unit at MH Rawalpindi, where the first open heart surgery in Pakistan was conducted in March 1970.
In the absence of modern facilities for the treatment of heart disease in the then East Pakistan, he founded a cardiology unit at IPGMR in July 1970. Serving as Professor of Cardiology until June 1978, he established the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Dhaka and oversaw its growth until 1989. He retired from government service in December 1989.
In 1978 he founded the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, a non-governmental organisation endorsed by the Government and devoted to cardiovascular health. Serving as Honorary Secretary-General and later as President, Professor Malik guided its projects, including the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute.
In 2001 he served the caretaker Government of Bangladesh as Adviser to the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and of Religious Affairs.
Founder President of the Bangladesh Cardiac Society and the SAARC Cardiac Society, and a member of the WHO Expert Panel on Cardiovascular Diseases, Professor Malik played a significant role in many national and international service organisations.
In 2010 he led the formation of the United Forum Against Tobacco, to confront the risk factor shared by heart disease, lung disease and cancer.
His medical and clinical writing appeared in many international journals. A reflective writer, he also published books on life and spirituality, among them Jiboner Kichu Kotha and Alor Poth; the royalties go to the Lillah Fund, which pays for the treatment of poor patients.
In recognition of his contributions he received the Independence Award of the Government of Bangladesh in 2004 and the title of National Professor in 2006.
National Professor Brig. (Retd.) Abdul Malik died on 5 December 2023, at the age of ninety-four. His work continues through the institutions he founded, his students and his family.