UAP Live: An eminent diplomat C. M. Shafi Sami was unanimously elected as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Asia Pacific recently. He takes over from the current Chairman, Mr. Monzoor Ahmad Chowdhury. Mr. Sami is a former President of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh.

He was an Advisor in the Bangladesh Caretaker Government in 2006. He was entrusted with the responsibility of negotiating with the top leaders of the two political parties and he succeeded in obtaining their agreements on measures to hold free, fair and impartial general elections acceptable to all. But having faced serious policy differences with President Iajuddin Ahmed on implementing these agreements he resigned from that government refusing to compromise on principles.

In 2001 Caretaker Government he was Special Assistant in-charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bangladesh and Principal Foreign Secretary; in that capacity he skillfully piloted the country’s foreign relations in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack.

 Mr. Sami was Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh from 1999 to 2001. He also served as Member, International Civil Service Commission of the UN (2001-04) with the rank of Under Secretary General of the UN.

He served as Bangladesh Ambassador / High Commissioner in Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia and India. As High Commissioner in India, Sami played a pivotal role in the conclusion of the landmark Ganges Water Sharing Treaty between Bangladesh & India and the signing of the Peace Accord that facilitated the return of Chakma refugees from India to Bangladesh. 

As a Director General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs he played an important role in developing strategy for the establishment of SAARC and in the drafting of SAARC Charter. He served as the Chief Coordinator of the First SAARC Summit and was also Deputy Secretary General of that conference.

The other Office Bearers elected are: Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shariful Islam as Senior Vice Chairman, Mr. Mohammed Nazrul Islam and Ms. Tashmeem Shayera as Vice Chairman and Mr. Alamzeb Farjad Ahmed as Treasurer.

Dhaka 23 January (campuslive24.com)//ai