AAMS Arefin Siddique

Abu Ahsan Mohammad Shamsul Arefin Siddique (26 October 1953 – 13 March 2025) was a Bangladeshi academic who served as the 27th vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka during 2009–2017. On 15 July 2020, he was appointed the chairman of the board of directors of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). He was also president of the board of trustees of the Bangladesh National Museum.

Early life and education Siddique was born in Dhaka on 26 October 1953. His family is originally from Raipura Upazila, Narsingdi District.

Career Siddique joined the University of Dhaka in 1980, and his teaching career spans about four decades.

Siddique was the chairman of the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha and a member of the governing body of the Press Institute of Bangladesh. He called on diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan to be severed for allegedly interfering in the trial of war criminals from the Bangladesh Liberation War. His car was attacked in 2016 by activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League after the university published a souvenir book on the 95th anniversary of the university that called Ziaur Rahman the first president of Bangladesh. He oversaw the attachment of seven colleges to the University of Dhaka.

Siddique was vice-chancellor until August 2017, and was the longest-serving vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka. He was a member of the search committee that selected his replacement. He was succeeded by Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman who was appointed by the government of Bangladesh, ignoring the search committee formed by the university senate. He returned to teaching at the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism.