Bangla Academy President Shamsuzzaman Khan dies of Corona

Bangla Academy President and its former Director General Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan has died of coronavirus.

He died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital in the capital on Wednesday, the first day of the New Bengali Year. He was 81.

Director General of Bangla Academy Habibullah Siraj confirmed this to The Daily Samakal.

Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan was infected with COVID-19 on April 8. Later, he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of BSMMU as his condition deteriorated.

Shamsuzzaman Khan, also known as a Bangladeshi academician, folklorist and writer, left behind his wife, three daughters and a host of relatives and well wishers to mourn his death.

He was born on December 29, 1940 in Manikganj district. He began his career as a teacher. He taught at Munshiganj Horganga College in Munshiganj, Jagannath College in Dhaka and Bangladesh Agricultural University.

He is renowned for editing a book series on folk culture of 64 different districts in 64 volumes, and collections of folklore series in 114 volumes.

Khan’s father M R Khan was a translator at the government house of Calcutta.

Khan completed his honours and master’s degrees from Dhaka University in 1963 and 1964 respectively and joined Munshiganj Haraganga College as a lecturer in the department of Bangla in 1964. In the same year he joined Jagannath College as an assistant Professor.

He got Bangla Academy Literary Award in 2001, Ekushey Padak in 2009, and Independence Day Award in 2017.

He was also the director general of Bangladesh National Museum and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Prof Shamsuzzaman Khan was also appointed as ‘Bangabandhu Chair’ Professor at Islamic University and was nominated as a syndicate member of Dhaka University.

Family sources said Shamsuzzaman Khan will be buried in his mother’s grave in Manikganj.