Professor Dwijen Sharma, an eminent naturalist, passed away at a city hospital yesterday due to old age complications. He was 88. He left behind wife, one son and a daughter and a host of relatives to mourn his death.
Dwijen Sharma had long been sufferings from various old age complications, and undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Birdem Hospital since August 30. He was shifted to Square Hospital on September 14.
Sharma was born on May 29, 1929 at Shimulia village of Barlekha Upazila in Moulvibazar district. His father Chandrakand Sharma was a "Kobiraj" 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. He had borrowed poetic expressions from Jibanananda Das, Jasimuddin and folklores such as the 'Mymensingh Gitika' to describe to his readers the many species of plants, flowers and fruits.
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 three years. An encyclopedia of the flora and fauna of Bangladesh in fifty six volumes was published by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh while he was the president of the publishing committee
He received Bangla Academy Award, M Nurul Qader Children's Literature Award, Ekushey Padak, Kudrat-i-Khuda Gold medal, Nature Preservation Award and many more for his immense contributions to language and literature.
His famous books include 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), and Nishorgo Nirman O Nandonik Bhabna.
