Sen, Shashanka Mohan

Sen, Shashanka Mohan (1872-1928) poet, literary critic and educationist, was born on 1 July 1872 at Dhalghat of patiya upazila in the district of chittagong. His father, Brajakumar Sengupta, was an employee of the forestry department.

Shashanka Mohan passed the Entrance examination (1890) from Chittagong Collegiate School, FA (1892) from Chittagong College, BA with honours (1894) in Sanskrit from Presidency College in Calcutta and BL (1897) from Ripon College. In the first phase of his professional life he practised law (1897-1920) in Chittagong but then the attractions of teaching made him join Calcutta University as a lecturer of Bengali Language and Literature. From 1921 he graced the post of 'Gopaldas Chowdhury Lecturer'; in Calcutta University.

Shashanka Mohan wrote a number of books on poetry, verse drama and criticism. Some of his noteworthy books are: poetry Sindhusa'b'g'i't (1895), Shailasangit (1905), Svarge O Martye (1912), Bim'a'nik'a (1924); verse drama S'a'vitr'i (1909), Vishv'a'mitra; criticism Va'b'gav'ani (1915), Madhus'u'dan: Antarj'i'ban O Pratibh'a (1922), V'ani'mandir (1928), etc.

Shashanka Mohan was the founder president of Dhalghat High School. He was intimately associated with the establishment and activities of organisations such as vangiya sahitya parishad and Chattal Hitasadhini Sabha in Chittagong. He was honoured with the 'Vidyasagar Gold Medal'; (1894) by Calcutta University and was conferred the title of 'Kavibhaskar'; (1915) by Chittagong Dharmamandali, 'Vidyabhusan'; (1922) by Saraswata Samaj in Dhaka, and 'Sahityavinod'; by Nikhil Bharat Sahitya Sangha in Calcutta. He died on 16 April 1928 in Kolkata. [Mahbubul Haque] [Haque, Mahbubul Professor of Bangla, Chittagong University]