| Shireen Akhter | |
| Native Name Lang: | bn |
| Office: | 18th Vice Chancellor of the University of Chittagong |
| 1Blankname: | Chancellor |
| 1Namedata: | President of Bangladesh |
| Term Start: | 3 November 2019 |
| Term End: | 19 March 2024 |
| Predecessor: | Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury |
| Successor: | Md. Abu Taher |
| Occupation: | Academic |
| Nationality: | Bangladeshi |
| Birth Date: | 1 May 1956 |
| Birth Place: | Cox's Bazar, East Pakistan, Pakistan |
| Spouse: | Latiful Alam Chowdhury (died 2020) |
Shireen Akhter (born 1 May 1956[1]) is a Bangladeshi academic. She was the first female vice chancellor of the University of Chittagong.[2] [3] [4]
Akhter was born at joarianala, Ramu in Cox's Bazar on 1 May 1956.[5] Her father was Afsar Kamal Chowdhury and mother was Begum Lutfunnahar Kamal.
Akhter completed her SSC and HSC in 1973 and 1975 respectively. She earned her bachelor's and master's from the University of Chittagong in 1978 and 1981 respectively.[6] In 1991, She earned her PhD from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.
Akhter was a member of Election Commission (EC) Search committee. She joined the University of Chittagong as a lecturer of Bangla department in 1996.[7] [8]
In 2006, Akhter was promoted to professor.
Akhter was appointed the first female vice chancellor of the University of Chittagong on 3 November 2019. She replaced Dr Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury.[9] In November 2020, she was nominated for the Begum Rokeya Padak and received it in December from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.[10] [11]
On 29 April 2021, Akhter was reappointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Chittagong.[12]
Akhter's office was vandalized in January 2023 by Bangladesh Chhatra League activists led by its University of Chittagong unit President Moynul Hasan for not recruiting Raihan Ahmed, a Bangladesh Chhatra League activist, as a faculty.[13]
Akhter was married to Major (Retired) Latiful Alam Chowdhury.[14] He died on 29 July 2020. They had two children.