Bangla Academy President Shamsuzzaman Khan passes away

Bangla Academy President Shamsuzzaman Khan passed away during undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka on Wednesday. He was 80.

Khan, also former director general of Bangla Academy, breathed his last at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) around 2:00am, Habibullah Sirajee, director general of Bangla Academy, confirmed media this afternoon.

and his wife have recently been tested positive for coronavirus. Later, he was admitted to the BSMMU as his condition deteriorated due to the infection.

He was a Bangladeshi academician, folklorist and writer and the incumbent president of Bangla Academy since June 2020. He also served as the director general of the academy from 2009 to 2018.

He was notable personality 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.

Born in 1940 at a village in Manikganj, the renewed academician completed his honours and master's degrees from Dhaka University in 1963 and 1964 respectively

Later, he joined Munshiganj Haraganga College as a lecturer in the department of Bangla in 1964 and in the same year he joined Jagannath College as an assistant professor.

Soon after the news spread, people from different classes and professions expressed their grave shock and prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul.