Naturalist Dwijen Sharma passes away

Noted naturalist and writer Dwijen Sharma passed away at a hospital in the capital on early Friday at the age of 88.

He had been suffering from various old age complications and was admitted to BIRDEM Hospital with lung infection. He was taken to ICU and later was shifted to Square Hospital.

Dwijen Sharma was born on May 29, 1929 in Shimulia village of Barlekha upazila in Moulvibazar district.

Sharma received his bachelor’s degree from City College, Kolkata. He earned his master's degree in Botany in 1958 from the University of Dhaka.

He then joined Brojomohun College, Barisal. In 1962 he left Barisal to join the faculty of Notre Dame College, Dhaka and worked until 1974. Then, he moved to Moscow to work for Progress Publishers as a translator.

He moved back to Bangladesh in 2000 and joined Asiatic Society of Bangladesh as an editor and translator of biology. He served as vice president of Asiatic Society for 3 years.

An encyclopedia of the flora and fauna of Bangladesh in 56 volumes was published by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh while he was the president of the publishing committee.

He was awarded Bangla Academy Award in 1987 and Ekushey Padak in 2015 for his contributions to language and literature.

Sharma wrote more than 30 books. Some notable ones are as follows. Shamoli Nishorgo (Green Nature), Shomajtontre Boshobash (Living in Socialism), Jiboner Shesh Nei (No End To Life) and  Phoolgulo Jeno Kotha (Each Flower Is A Word).