Dwijen Sharma (29 May 1929 – 15 September 2017) was a Bangladeshi naturalist and science writer. He was awarded

Bangla Academy Literary Award The Bangla Academy Literary Award (; ''Bangla Academy Shahitya Puroshkar'') is given by the Bangla Academy of Bangladesh in recognition of creative genius in advancement and overall contribution in the field of Bengali language and literature. ...

in 1987 and

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

in 2015 by the

Government of Bangladesh The government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh () is the central government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive (the president, prime minister and cabinet), the ...

for his contribution in language and literature.

Early life

Sharma was born in Shimulia village of

Barlekha Upazila Barlekha () is an upazila (sub-district) of Moulvibazar District, located in Sylhet Division, Bangladesh. Etymology Barlekha Upazila is named after Barlekha (formerly 'Barlikha') which means Great ''Likha''. ''Likha'' was an area historically un ...

Moulvibazar District Moulvibazar District, () also spelled Moulavibazar, or Maulavibazar, (previous name: South Sylhet) is the southeastern district of Sylhet Division in northeastern Bangladesh, named after the town of Moulvibazar. It is bordered by the Indian states ...

Sylhet Division Sylhet Division () is a northeastern Divisions of Bangladesh, division of Bangladesh, renowned for its lush tea gardens, rolling hills and vibrant cultural heritage. Covering an area of approximately 12,298 square kilometres, it is bordered by t ...

. His father Chandrakand Sharma was a "Kobiraj" or rural doctor and his mother Mognomoyi Debi was a social worker. During his childhood, he was fond of visiting the forest of Patharia hill which is situated in Barlekha Upazila.

Education and professional work

Sharma received his bachelor's degree from

City College, Kolkata City College is a composite state government–aided public college, affiliated to the University of Calcutta. It offers undergraduate-level courses in various arts, commerce and science subjects. History Anandamohan Bose, founder of the C ...

. He earned his master's degree in botany in 1958 from the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public university, public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka w ...

. He then joined Brojomohun College, Barisal. In 1962 he left

Barisal Barisal ( or ; , ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal District and Barisal Divi ...

to join the faculty of

Notre Dame College, Dhaka Notre Dame College, Dhaka (), also known as NDC, is a catholic higher secondary and degree level educational institution founded and managed by the priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross located in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Upon th ...

and worked until 1974. Then, he moved to

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

to work for

Progress Publishers Progress Publishers was a Moscow-based Soviet Union, Soviet publisher founded in 1931. Publishing program Progress Publishers published books in a variety of languages: Russian, English, and many other European and Asian languages. They issued ma ...

as a translator. He moved back to Bangladesh in 2000 and joined

Banglapedia ''Banglapedia:'' ''the'' ''National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh'' is the first Bangladeshi encyclopedia. It is available in print, CD-ROM format and online, in both Bengali and English. The print version comprises fourteen 500-page volumes. The ...

(National Encyclopedia Of Bangladesh) Project,

Asiatic Society of Bangladesh The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh is a non political and non profit research organisation registered under both Society Act of 1864 and NGO Affairs Bureau, Government of Bangladesh. The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh was established as the Asiati ...

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.

Honors and awards

* Kudrat-i-Khuda Gold medal *

(1987) * Nature Preservation Award by

Channel i Channel i () is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel owned by Impress Group. It was launched on 1 October 1999, as Bangladesh's first digital television channel. It is one of the oldest satellite television chan ...

(2011) * M Nurul Qader Children's Literature Award *

(2015)

Personal life

Sharma was married to Devi Sharma, a former professor at

Central Women's University Central Women's University (CWU) is one of the first private universities in Bangladesh, established in 1993. It was the first university in Bangladesh established exclusively for the purpose of female education. Beggzadi Mahmuda Nasir served ...

. They have one son and one daughter. Sharma's niece Manisha Chakraborty is a Bangladeshi politician.

Books

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) * Phoolgulo Jeno Kotha (Each Flower Is A Word) * Biggan Shikkha O Daiboddhotar Nirikh ( Science Education and Our Responsibilities) * Nishorgo Nirman O Nandonik Bhabna (Building the Environment and Related Thoughts)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Dwijen 1929 births 2017 deaths University of Dhaka alumni Bangladeshi scientists Bengali Hindus Bangladeshi Hindus Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Recipients of Bangla Academy Award People from Barlekha Upazila Deaths from kidney disease Academic staff of Notre Dame College, Dhaka