Aligarh Muslim University is in mourning for Shahzada Idris Badruddin, who died in Mumbai on 20 October 2026, aged 73. He was the younger brother of His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra community, who served two terms as AMU’s Chancellor.
Fifty years, mostly in classrooms
Born in 1952, Shahzada Idris was the fifth son of the late Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 52nd leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community. He gave close to fifty years to community work, the university said, and schools took up most of it.
- Under his guidance, the community’s network of schools grew to serve thousands of students in several countries.
- He pushed for better academic standards, modern teaching methods and professional training for teachers.
- He was the Special Representative of His Holiness in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden and Norway.
- He was also a member of the Council of the Sultan al-Bohra Foundation in Dubai.
What the Vice-Chancellor said
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Naima Khatoon called him “a quiet and steadfast builder” in the world of learning, and said his legacy would live on in the young people whose schooling he helped shape.
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The family’s link with Aligarh runs deep, and she said so. AMU, in her words, shares “a deep and enduring bond” with Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, whose affection the university valued through his two terms as Chancellor. The AMU fraternity, she added, stands with him and the bereaved family at this time.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mohammad Mohsin Khan said Shahzada Idris’s devotion to education would keep guiding young minds. Registrar Prof. Aasim Zafar said the loss was felt not only by the Dawoodi Bohra community but by everyone who values learning and service.
Also read: Interesting facts about Aligarh Muslim University.
Source: AMU Public Relations Office, 21 October 2026.
