Dr. Rash Bihari Ghosh
Early Life and Education
Dr. Rash Bihari Ghosh was born in Bajitpur Kishore Ganj and studied at Dhaka University on a soccer scholarship, beginning his career as a chemistry tutor at Jagannath University College (now Jagannath University). After his active participation in the Bangladeshi freedom movement, he came back to his teaching job at Dhaka Jaganath University. He was compelled to leave Bangladesh soon after the martyr of Bangabandhu pro Pakistanis. He came to read for a Ph.D in Manchester on Europe's most polluted estuary of the river Mersey and completed his PhD in Ecology/Hydrology at Salford University in Manchester, England. Dr. Ghosh wrote his Dissertation on mitigating pollution based on his detailed monitoring of the Polluted Mersey Estuary. During the liberation movement, Dr. Ghosh served as acting General Secretary of the Bangladesh Teachers Association in Majib Nagar. Later he became general secretary during the presidency of A. R. Mullick. Dr. Ghosh replaced Dr. Anisuzaman, who was recalled by Prime minister Tajuddin Ahmed. Shortly after, Dr. Ghosh was recalled by acting president Sayed Nazrul Islam, being replaced by Dr. Ajoy Roy, Professor of Physics of Dhaka University. Dr. Ghosh became a British Council Scholar after his International Atomic Energy Fellowship, which was blocked by the Military Government of Bangladesh due to his close association with founder Sheik Majibur Rahman. However, Dr. Ghosh getting an Atomic energy fellowship in 1976 to start an atomic energy fellowship in Bangladesh.
Early Life and Education Dr. Rash Bihari Ghosh was born in Bajitpur Kishore Ganj and studied at Dhaka University on a soccer scholarship, beginning his career as a chemistry tutor at Jagannath University College (now Jagannath University). After his active participation in the Bangladeshi freedom movement, he came back to his teaching job at Dhaka Jaganath University. He was compelled to leave Bangladesh soon after the murder of Bangabandhu pro Pakistanis. Soon after, he came to read for a Ph.D in Manchester on Europe's most polluted estuary of the river Mersey and completed his PhD in Ecology/Hydrology at Salford University in Manchester, England. Dr. Ghosh wrote his Dissertation on mitigating pollution based on his detailed monitoring of the Polluted Mersey Estuary. During the liberation movement, Dr. Ghosh served as acting General Secretary of the Bangladesh Teachers Association in Majib Nagar. Later he became general secretary during the presidency of A. R. Mullick. Dr. Ghosh replaced Dr. Anisuzaman, who was recalled by Prime minister Tajuddin Ahmed. Shortly after, Dr. Ghosh was recalled by acting president Sayed Nazrul Islam, being replaced by Dr. Ajoy Roy, Professor of Physics of Dhaka University.
Dr. Ghosh became a British Council Scholar after his International Atomic Energy Fellowship was blocked by the Pro-Pakistani Chair of the Dhaka Atomic Energy Commission of the Military Government of Bangladesh due to his close association with founder Sheik Majibur Rahman. However, Dr. Ghosh and one his professors of Professor William Kershaw, MD, D. Sc, FBiol, CMG, VRD, a leading tropical medicine expert in the world) worked very hard to convince the world Atomic Energy authorities in Austria to start awarding, the Dhaka Atomic energy fellowship in 1976 in Bangladesh. (For details one may see the last several attachments of Dr. Ghosh's Ph.D. thesis (Ecology of the polluted Mersey estuary at Salford University).
Career as a Water Scientist
Dr. Ghosh’s outstanding doctoral dissertation opened the door for his future career. And one of his professor Dr. Kershaw connect Dr. Ghosh with Professor Linus Pauling (only unshared double nobel laureate) at Stanford . His investigation of the River Mersey Estuary in greater Manchester and Liverpool Bay, which at the time, was the most polluted in Europe, got the attention of the British Environment Department. He went on to assist the Northwest Water Authority and the British government in the Mersey estuary cleanup. Accoroding to Professor Thomas Harvey ( prominent ecologist of the USA) of San Jose state University Dr. Rash B Ghosh became an authority of the Mersey estuary River system and his work was recognised by the British Environment Department and its secretary.
He was a lecturer at Underwater Science and Technology at University of Salford in Manchester and taught M.Sc students there. He then moved to California and worked as a scientist at Stanford, conducting research on canopy chemistry, nutrient cycling, and climate change at Herring Laboratories. Dr. Ghosh prepared one of the largest datasets on canopy chemistry in the world, supported by NASA.
Dr. Ghosh has resolved several local and international environmental disputes. In late 1980s, he worked with CalEPA, being chosen for his international experience in estuarine and brackish water science. During this time, he resolved long term disputes involving South Bay Dischargers, San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board, and Citizens for Better Environment. During one of these disputes, Dr. Ghosh reviewed 5 volumes of technical reports prepared for South Bay Dischargers. His findings were accepted by all parties, and the long standing problem was resolved out of court.
Dr. Ghosh worked at the California Department of Health Services and California Environmental Protection Agency for 14 years, overseeing several superfund toxic waste sites and successfully completing various cleanup projects. Along with Nobel Laureates Dr. Charles Townes, Dr. Glenn Seborg, and Dr. Doulas Osheroff, Dr. Ghosh co-founded the International Institute of Bengal and Himalayan Basins (IIBHB) to advocate for access to clean drinking water in developing countries.
Dr. Ghosh was invited by the Chinese Engineering Professional Association to present his Hydrogrameen technology at an international conference in Burlingame Ca in July 2014. The Hydrogrameen technology injects fresh water into depleted aquifers. Dr. Ghosh funded the Hydrogrameen project with his own resources.
Civil Rights Cases
Dr. Ghosh was a civil rights plaintiff in a case against his employer, Cal EPA, who made a case law in May 2000 for the age discrimination. In retaliation by the City of Berkeley and the state took two of houses in Berkeley and over two hundred thousand cash deposit to the court.
Dr. Ghosh at a conference circa 2015
Age Discrimination Case
Excerpt from a newspaper article on Dr. Ghosh's case against CalEPA for Age Discrimination. To read more, click the image for details.
Zoning Cases
The City of Berkeley brought two false cases against Dr. Ghosh in the Berkeley superior court, alleging zoning and building violations. Both cases were dismissed by the court after the judge inspected the site. The judge also made a settlement effort to resolve it permanently. The settlement was prepared with the instruction of the commissioner, with consent from both parties involved.
A Berkeley superior court in early 2000 dismissed two building zoning violations cases against Dr. Ghosh at 1700 Dwight way and 2507-209 McGee Ave. City Rep. Zack Cowen and Mark Rhodes (city manager) did not sign the document.
Professors Support Dr. Ghosh
UC Berkeley Chemistry Professor Felix Motzoi's Testimony Supporting Dr. Ghosh
Dr. Felix Motzoi shares his experience with Dr. Ghosh's property seizure.
UC Berkeley Classics Professor John Paulin's Testimony Supporting Dr. Ghosh
Dr. John Paulin testifies to the credibility of the contractors that worked on the property.
10 Years of Injustice
1. Selective enforcement - The City of Berkeley would not take action to close a drug house with 25 years of complaints, or show similar vigilance in its pursuit of hundreds of offending soft-story buildings.
2. Capricious demands were singularly imposed on Dr. Ghosh's property, but not required of neighbors with similar issues - E.g. ordered a fence to be moved 2 feet from the sidewalk, but no one else on the block was served with a similar order. (December 2010)
3. Illegal entries without warrants / violation of property rights - E.g. Joan Macquarrie on 2/18/2009, 2/26/2009, and Patrick Emmons on 10/10/2010.
4. Repeated delays and failure to issue permits in a timely manner. - E.g. seven year delay until June 2008 in issuing permit to do work enjoined by aOctober 2010 abatement order.
5. Illegal demands to comply with city officials without court authorization for such demands. - E.g. Eviction on 9/6/2007 was executed without the presentation of any warrant. 3/24/09 eight city officials including 3 police officers entered premises illegally, without warrant and forced Dr. Ghosh to vacate premises, again illegally, without warrant.
6. Consistent failure to produce documents requested. - E.g. consistently failed to provide requested copies of sign offs from 1998 until 2009 when some but not all of these documents were produced.
7. Convenient loss of documents / failure to provide original documents or honest copies of original documents; but produced spurious copies of the original meant to contradict original document's value. - E.g. July/August 2007: zoning record modified in report in order to eliminate previous record of home occupation in order to prove that original record was issued in error.
8. Arbitrary and inconsistent application of the permitting process.
Consistent pattern of moving goal posts; arbitrary and unceasing discovery of code violations
9. Unrealistic standards applied singularly to Dr. Ghosh. - E.g. Dr. Ghosh's McGee St. property passed federal Section Eight housing inspection in September of 2010 on the first inspection (an uncommon achievement). Federal requirements are much stricter than the city's, and Dr. Ghosh rented it out with federal government approval in October of 2010. Nevertheless, the city deemed the property unfit for occupation and evicted the tenants two weeks later.
10. Repeated denial of due process. - E.g. Dr. Ghosh and tenants were denied mandatory hearing regarding their eviction in 2007. Eviction of tenants without court order in October of 2010.
11. Consistent rejection of and failure to comply with findings and suggestions of courts / mediators / adjudicators / Peace and Justice Commission / City Council.
12. Inducing blight through improper boarding practices.
13. Failure to secure property after illegal inspection; left gate open which led to vandalism.
14. Questionable manipulation of zoning records by Mark Rhoades and Patrick Emmons.
