Sumaiya Khair is a law professor, researcher, and human rights activist. [1] She is the former chair of the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka. [2] She is an advisor to the executive committee of Transparency International Bangladesh. [3] She is a member of the Constitution Reform Commission. [4] [5] She is a former deputy executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh. [6]
Khair did her bachelors and master's in law at the University of Dhaka in 1984 and 1985. [7] He completed her PhD at the University of East London. [7]
Khair joined the University of Dhaka as a lecturer on 1 January 1990. [7] She was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1994. [7]
Khair was promoted to Associate Professor in 2002. [7] She joined Eastern University as an adjunct professor. She was promoted to full professor at the University of Dhaka in 2005. [7]
In January 2009, Khair was appointed chairman of the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka. [7] She served as the chairman till 2011. [8] She received the University Grants Commission Award in 2011. [7] She became a deputy executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh in 2013. [7] She served as the editor of the Dhaka University Law Journal. [9]
Khair was appointed an advisor to the executive committee of Transparency International Bangladesh in 2017. [7]
In January 2020, Khair signed a letter protesting the legal case against the editor of Prothom Alo Matiur Rahman over the death of school student at an event of the Prothom Alo. [10] [11] She signed a statement in 2021 demanding the release of Rozina Islam, a reporter of Prothom Alo. [12] She called on the government to renew the registration of human rights organization Odhikar in 2022. [13]
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government, Khair was made a member of the Constitution Reform Commission of the Muhammad Yunus led Interim government in October 2024. [14]