Bhattacharjee, Shishir Kumar
Bhattacharjee, Shishir Kumar (1940-2020) a well-known Bangladeshi Mathematician and Astrophysicist, one of the pioneers of Astrophysics study in Bangladesh.
Shishir Kumar Bhattacharjee was born in a Brahmin family at a remote village called Dhamura in the district of Barisal on 25 April 1940. His early education was hampered by the communal riots of 1950. He was educated first in the local school and then in FH Collage and BL College, Khulna. For his post-graduate education, he attended the University of Dhaka.
Bhattacharjee lectured for a short time, first, at FH College and, then, at AM College, Mymensingh. But he built his professional career at the University of Rajshahi. There he extensively taught and researched until he retired in 2005. His research work was based on star and planetary formation and the expansion of the universe. His research work got a boost as he joined the Queen Mary College, London, in 1978. Here, he was mentored by Professor Emeritus Iwan Williams. Dr. Bhattacharjee’s doctoral thesis was based on the formation of stars and planets and their evolution. His research was so fundamental that Queen Mary College offered him a teaching job, but Dr. Bhattacharjee returned to Bangladesh and joined his old workplace at Rajshahi University. However, in 1987, he returned to Queen Mary College and spent three months as a visiting fellow.
Over the subsequent years, Bhattacharjee continued his teaching and research and mentored several students doing their M. Phil and PhD studies.
He kept on publishing articles on Astrophysics and Astronomy in reputed national and international journals. This was followed by attending several seminars, workshops and conferences both in Bangladesh and overseas. While he was the Chairman of the Department of Mathematics from 1985 to 1988, he introduced an advanced study model of Applied Mathematics.
He presented papers at International Astronomical Conference at Cardiff University, UK in 1980; attended summer workshop on Physics and Cosmology at ICTP, Italy in 1985; attended 3rd International IRAS Conference at QMC, University of London in 1987; attended BCSPIN Summer School at Kathmandu, Nepal in 1989; attended International Conference on Supernovae and HE Astrophysics in Calcutta, India during 1989-1990; presented paper at International Symposium at Calcutta University, India in 1995.
Dr. Bhattacharjee retired in 2005, but went on researching and writing books. He also continued with assisting and mentoring PhD students. He published ten books both on academic and popular science including Manus O Mohavishwa; Mohajagotic Mohakabya; Einstine: A biography; Sristir Mohan Parikalpona; Sourojagoter Sristi O Nana Prosongo. He also wrote two degree-level textbooks on spherical astronomy and geometry.
In 2019, he was awarded the ‘Meher Nigar Biggan Sahitya Puroshkar’ by Bangla Academy. He passed away on 10 July 2020 at his residence in Rajshahi. [Md. Lutfor Rahaman]
