IPDC Ogroj sheds light on professor Shamsuzzaman’s life
Bengali literature and mythology, the history of Bangladesh, the life of Bangabandhu, secularism, and many other issues have come up in his research
IPDC Ogroj, in its fifteenth episode, has talked about the life of Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan, currently the president of Bangla Academy, and his contribution to Bengali literature.
Hosted by Anis A Khan, IPDC Ogroj has been shedding light on senior personalities who have contributed to various fields in Bangladesh since the country became independent.
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has written that he has been an admirer of Shamsuzzaman Khan's work for a long span of time.
"The critical judgment, historical insights and remarkable scholarship that Shamsuzzaman brings to his analyses and writings are altogether exceptional," he wrote.
Born in 1937 in Manikganj, Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan lost his father when he was two. He started teaching at the Haraganga College of Munshiganj before he completed his MA. Later, he taught at Bangladesh Agricultural University (1968-73) and National University (1998-01).
In the episode, Khan mentioned that his teachers had a significant influence on him. He particularly remembers Khalilur Rahman, a teacher of Bangla, and his wife Roquiya Sultana (later adopted by Dr Govinda Chandra Dev), who guided him in shaping his progressive worldview.
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This scholar loves to buy books as reading is his obsession. He is a leading figure in the study of folklore in post-independence Bangladesh. He has written and edited more than a hundred books.
Bengali literature and mythology, the history of Bangladesh, the life of Bangabandhu, secularism, and many other issues have come up in his research.
He has also made significant contributions to the creation of basic creative literature.
In 2009, Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan became the director general of Bangla Academy. As the successor to the late National Professor Anisuzzaman, he is currently the president of the Institute.
He has also been appointed as Bangabandhu Chair Professor of Islamic University, Kushtia.
In recognition of his literary and research work, the creative man has been awarded numerous honours, including the Bangla Academy Sahitya Puraskar in 2001, the Ekushey Padak in 2009 and the highest state honor, the Swadhinata Puraskar, in 2016.
