Imran Imam, my brother, had a fervent passion for science and mathematics. In 1978, he completed his master’s degree in mathematical physics at Imperial College London with honors and received an employment offer from Hawker Siddeley, a company involved in missile manufacturing. However, Imran’s values conflicted with working on weapons that cause harm, so he turned down the job offer and pivoted to banking.
Imran began his career working at the Bank of Credit and Commerce International in London. As he experienced corruption in the banking industry, he became a "whistleblower," providing evidence and testimony at the subsequent inquiries into BCCI’s illegal activities. An international investigation discovered that the bank had breached lending laws and laundered money extensively, leading to the recovery of several hundred million pounds of investors’ funds. Imran’s contributions in the investigation were pivotal.
After the end of his banking career, Imran returned to his passion for mathematics. He pursued a master’s degree in mathematics from the Open University in 2006 and became a teacher, tutoring for mathematics at multiple colleges in London. In 2008, he joined Brampton College in Golders Green, where he was adored by both his students and colleagues for his dedication as a mathematics teacher that had a profound impact on many lives.
Imran was a descendant of aristocratic families from northern India. He was born in Lucknow as the eldest child of Syed Mohammad Amir Imam, known under the pen name Hurr, a poet-philosopher, writer, and linguist, and Amatul Husain (née Khan), also a poet and linguist. His paternal great-grandfather, Sir Syed Ali Imam, was a lawyer and statesman who served on the viceroy’s executive council. His maternal great-grandfather, Maharaja Sir Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan of Mahmudabad, was a prominent statesman of Uttar Pradesh.
Imran’s maternal grandfather was Mohammad Amir Ahmed Khan, the last Raja of Mahmudabad and a close associate of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who later served as the director of the Islamic Cultural Centre in London. Imran witnessed the development of the Central London Mosque in Regent’s Park while living with his grandfather.
Imran received his early education in Karachi, where his family settled in 1957. He then went on to study physics at King’s College London before enrolling in his master’s program in mathematical physics at Imperial College. Apart from science and mathematics, Imran had a keen interest in languages, literature, and music.
He is survived by his two sons and a daughter from a previous marriage that ended in divorce, a grandson, two sisters, and two brothers.
