Born in 1963 in Noakhali province, Bangladesh, H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al Maruf Muhammad Shah Alam began his studies in religious schools where he received basic education in Islamic sciences, Arabic language, hadith and tafsir, then joined the Islamic University of Madinah where he obtained a bachelor’s in Arabic language in 1987, followed by a master’s from the Department of Arabic Language in 1989, and doctorate in 2003 at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. His Eminence began his career as a researcher at the Islamic Institution of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Bangladesh in 1989, where he worked for approximately 25 years before being appointed director. His Eminence then worked as an associate professor at the University of Dhaka in 2014, until being promoted a general professor in 2019. His Eminence has held significant positions such as Director of the Institute of Languages at the Islamic Foundation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, member of the Bangladesh Medical Research Council, member of the Bangladesh Curriculum Council, advisor to the Supreme Court on historical fatwas, member of the Holy Qur’an Digital Programs Council, consultant to UNICEF Bangladesh, chairman of the Textbook Amendment Committee under the Bangladesh Education Council for Religious Schools, Chairman of the Bangladesh Halal Committee, and member of the Bangladesh Women’s Rights Council Committee. As a member of the Council of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, H.E. Dr. Abdullah Maruf Muhammad Shah Alem has represented the People’s Republic of Bangladesh since March 14, 2017.