My brother Imran Imam’s passion was mathematics and science. He gained a master’s in mathematical physics at Imperial College London in 1978, and got a job offer from the aircraft manufacturer Hawker Siddeley, but because he did not want to work on missiles he decided to go into banking instead.
Imran, who has died aged 70, began his working life at the Bank of Credit and Commerce International in London. However, he became a “whistleblower” about corruption in the banking system and was one of those who gave evidence at the subsequent inquiries into BCCI’s activities. An international investigation found that the bank had broken lending laws and operated an extensive money-laundering operation. Imran’s help was crucial in recovering several hundred million pounds of investors’ funds.
With the end of his banking career, it was to maths that he returned. He earned his master’s in mathematics (2006) from the Open University and became a teacher. He was a maths tutor in a number of colleges in London, including London Brookes and Regent’s, and in 2008 joined Brampton college, in Golders Green. He was loved by his students and colleagues alike for his commitment as a maths teacher, which changed many lives.
Imran was the scion of aristocratic families from northern India. Born in Lucknow, he was the eldest child of Syed Mohammad Amir Imam, a poet-philosopher, writer and linguist under the pen name Hurr, and Amatul Husain (nee Khan), also a poet and linguist. His paternal great-grandfather was the lawyer and statesman Sir Syed Ali Imam, a member of the viceroy’s executive council. His maternal great-grandfather was Maharaja Sir Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan of Mahmudabad, a prominent statesman of Uttar Pradesh.
His maternal grandfather, Mohammad Amir Ahmed Khan, the last Raja of Mahmudabad, and a close lieutenant of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, later became the director of the Islamic Cultural Centre in London. Imran was living with our grandfather as the plans for the Central London Mosque, Regent’s Park, were laid and he witnessed the growth of the entire project.
He received his early education in Karachi, where the family settled in 1957, and went on to study physics at King’s College London before going to Imperial College for his master’s. His other interests included, languages, literature and music.
He is survived by two sons and a daughter from a marriage that ended in divorce, a grandson, two sisters and two brothers.