I was born and raised in Chittagong, a scenic port city of Bangladesh. My grandfather was a farmer in a remote village. Against all odds, he had the vision of educating his children. With his inspiration, my father and his twin brother grew a deep interest in learning. As small kids, the two brothers used to travel miles on foot to attend a school in another village. In time, they won their financial battle and studied mathematics in college. It's interesting that most of my cousins also studied mathematics. Talk about inspiration! And yes, my root has always been my inspiration.

My wife Sumayya is a child psychiatrist. We have two kids. Rafan and Liana Our son Rafan was born in 2011 when I was a graduate student at Stony Brook. Our daughter Liana was born in 2016. Rafan and Liana love each other very much, perhaps because of their age gap. :)

Update (2019): They fight a lot these days!

Update (2020): They still fight. I've been the stay-at-home parent with them during the pandemic. I think I've done a pretty good job as a referee.

Update (2021): How they start fighting:
Liana (5 yo) looking at my torn shoes: "When I get older and get a job, I'll buy Dad new shoes."
Rafan (10 yo): "But that will take a long long time."
Liana: "Be quiet."
Rafan: "No, you don't understand. By that time Dad will be dead."
Liana: "I said, be quiet."
Then they start fighting.

I love playing and watching soccer and tennis in my spare time. I support Manchester City. An Arsenal-supporting student once told me: Professor, I thought I liked your class until someone said you are a Man City fan. :)

If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? -- Percy Bysshe Shelley