TRIBUTES have been flooding in for an ‘absolutely amazing’ and ‘inspirational’ teacher who served the community for more than 50 years.

Dr Mirza Mohammed Qadeer Baig passed away peacefully at his home in Heaton, Bradford, last Monday (April 19) at the age of 80.

He was a well-known and highly respected member of the community who taught in the city for more than 30 years; first at Grange Upper School as Head of Community Languages and then at Rhodesway Upper School.

Hundreds of former students took to social media to post tributes.

“He was such a nice person, such an educated man and so religious, he was like a father figure to me,” one former student said.

Another said: “He was absolutely amazing, very well-respected and loved by all.”

He inspired and motivated thousands of students over the years putting them on the path to success.

One former pupil had a place at university conditional on passing an O-level in a language.

Dr Baig coached him in Urdu, he passed and went on to study Medicine at the University of Cambridge, the first in his family to go into higher education.

Born in Bareilly in India, Dr Baig came to UK in 1964 to study Textile Technology at the University of Bradford where one of his supervisors, Dr Eric Dyson, called him ‘extraordinarily conscientious.’

He graduated with multiple degrees including a doctorate, one of the first men from Pakistan to achieve such a respected qualification.

He received his Masters from the Vice Chancellor of the University, Sir Harold Wilson.

His nephew, Dr Farhat, who is a Professor of Plasma Physics at the University of California, San Diego, said his uncle was a role model for the whole family.

“When we were small my mother always said: “Your uncle has a PhD from England, if he can do it then so can you. So he really was the most amazing role model, he was my inspiration.”

Dr Baig was also an accomplished writer who featured in the Times Education Supplement and contributed regularly to the Telegraph & Argus.

After retiring he started travelling to visit family around the world including Barcelona, Miami and Malaysia with his dear wife Safia, also a much-loved teacher.

He was writing his memoir, an extraordinary tale of how he escaped India during Partition as a child with his family. He tragically lost his mother in the process and was forced to live in a railway carriage for years in Bangladesh before moving to Lahore in Pakistan then coming to England.

His funeral took place last Friday (April 23) at Victor Street mosque, Heaton, where he undertook regular duties.

Imam Mohammed Ishtiaq, from the mosque, said he was irreplaceable.

“He was the first to arrive at the mosque in the morning- sometimes as early as 3.30am in the winter- and would be the last to leave. He would put the heating and the lights on and greet the worshippers with a smile and kind words.

“He would also do the call to prayer. He was very dedicated and virtuous which is reflected in the fact that he died during the month of Ramadan which means he will go straight to Paradise.”

Another nephew, Furqan Baig who lives in Sydney, said Dr Baig ‘lived with grace and died with dignity.”

Dr Baig leaves behind a daughter, Anila, an award-winning journalist, and three sons, Kamran, who runs an international school in Switzerland, Mohammed Ali, a senior lecturer at the University of Westminster and Osman, a senior news producer at CNN.

His daughter said her father was a ‘one of a kind.’

“He was a man of exemplary character, an intellectual who had very high standards- that were quite hard to attain at times.

“He had absolute integrity. He was supremely disciplined and generous and he deeply loved and cared for our mother, us and his wider family. He was a true gentleman.

“We will miss him so much, the whole community will. He was one of the greatest.”