Shamsuzzaman Khan

Shamsuzzaman Khan (29 December 1940[2] – 14 April 2021 )[3] was a Bangladeshi academician, folklorist, and writer who served as president of Bangla Academy since June 2020 until his death in April 2021. He also served as the director general of the academy during 2009–2018.[4] He was notable for editing book series on folk culture of 64 different districts in 64 volumes and collections of folklore series in 114 volumes. He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 2001, Ekushey Padak in 2009 and Independence Day Award in 2017 by the Government of Bangladesh.[5][6]

Shamsuzzaman Khan
শামসুজ্জামান খান
Khan in Kolkata Book Fair, 2016
President of Bangla Academy
In office
29 June 2020 – 14 April 2021
Preceded byAnisuzzaman
Succeeded byRafiqul Islam
Director General of Bangla Academy
In office
24 May 2009 – 23 May 2018
Preceded bySyed Mohammad Shahed
Succeeded byHabibullah Siraji[1]
Personal details
Born(1940-12-29)29 December 1940
Manikganj District, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died14 April 2021(2021-04-14) (aged 80)
NationalityBangladeshi
OccupationAcademician, administrator, folklorist
Awards

Early life

Khan's father M.R. Khan was a translator at the government house of Calcutta. His great grandfather Elhadad Khan and his brother Adalat Khan were highly acclaimed intellectuals of colonial India. Shamsuzzaman's father died when he was only two. He was brought up by his mother and maternal grandmother.[7]

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.

Career

Khan started his teaching career at Haraganga College.[7] Khan was a faculty member of Jagannath College, Bangladesh Agricultural University (1968–73) and National University of Bangladesh (1998-2001).[4][7]

On 24 May 2009, Khan became the director general of Bangla Academy.[8] His contract for the position was extended three times until 23 May 2018.[9] He also served as the director general of the Bangladesh National Museum and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.[9] On 1 October 2018 Shamsuzzaman Khan was appointed 'Bangabandhu Chair' Professor at Islamic University, Bangladesh in Kushtia.[10]

According to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, "the critical judgment, historical insights and remarkable scholarship that Shamsuzzaman brings to his analyses and writings are altogether exceptional".[7]

Criticism

Khan was criticized and condemned severely since he allowed different organizations to arrange events in the English language in the premises of Bangla Academy in his tenure.[11]

Death

He died from complications of COVID-19 in Dhaka on 14 April 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.[12]

Awards

Works

Khan wrote more than seventy books on topics ranging from serious literary articles and folklore to children's literature.[7]

  • Folklore: New Challenges (2015)[14]

References
  1. "Bangla Academy gets Habibullah Sirajee as director general". bdnews24.com. 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  2. "Shamsuzzaman Khan becomes Bangla Academy president". New Age. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  3. Correspondent, Dhaka University; bdnews24.com. "Shamsuzzaman Khan, president of Bangla Academy, dies after contracting COVID". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  4. "Shamsuzzaman takes over as Bangla Academy DG". The Daily Star. 25 May 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  5. একুশে পদকপ্রাপ্ত সুধীবৃন্দ (in Bengali). Government of Bangladesh. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  6. "Air Force, 15 people get Independence Award 2017". The Daily Star. 2017-02-17. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  7. Kar, Amitava (17 May 2013). "A Giant in Our Cultural History". The Daily Star. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  8. "Shamsuzzaman Khan new Bangla Academy DG". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  9. "Shamsuzzaman made DG of Bangla Academy again". The Daily Star. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  10. "Shamsuzzaman made Bangabandhu Chair Professor at IU". UNB. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  11. 'ঢাকা লিট ফেস্ট'-এর পৃষ্ঠপোষকতা ও ইংরেজিকে 'লিডিং' অবস্থানে নিয়ে যাওয়ার ব্যবস্থা!. bdnews24.com (Opinion). 2018-11-12. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  12. "Bangla Academy president Prof Shamsuzzaman Khan passes away". Dhaka Tribune. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  13. "15 persons get 'Independence Award-2017'". New Age. Dhaka. BSS. 16 February 2017.
  14. Alam, Shahid (2 November 2015). "Spotlight on an essence of Bangladesh's culture". The Daily Star. Retrieved 8 August 2016.

Further reading


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