Valiant freedom fighter Shib Narayan Das, who had designed the first flag of Bangladesh just before the independence, passed away this morning while undergoing treatment at a city hospital. He was 78.
Das breathed his last at 9.25am at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in the city.
On April 1, Shib Narayan Das was admitted at the Samorita Hospital with respiratory ailment and later shifted to the BSMMU following advice of the physicians,
"My father's body has been kept at the BIRDEM mortuary as his body will be donated here and his cornea will be donated to Sandhani, a voluntary organisation run by medical college students that manages blood and organ donations," said his son Arnob Aditya Das.
He is survived by his wife, a son and numerous admirers, relatives, well-wishers and colleagues to mourn his death.
Shib Narayan joined politics following the language movement hero Dhirendranath Dutta. He participated in the education movement of 1962 and was imprisoned.
The Liberation War of the country was started first with the flag containing the country's map that was designed by Shib Narayan Das who was then student leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The Bangladesh flag was first hoisted in front of the Arts Building of Dhaka University (DU) on March 2, 1971 by the student leaders.
On June 6, 1970, a group of Chhatra League leaders had designed the flag at the room no-118 of the then Iqbal Hall, now named as Sergeant Zahurul Huq Hall, of the Dhaka University for the 'Joy Bangla Bahini'.
In a condolence message, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JASAD President Hasanul Haque Inu and its General Secretary Shirin Akhtar expressed profound shock and sorrow at the demise of one of the prominent flag designers and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.
President mourns death of national flag’s first designer Shib Narayan
Meanwhile, President Mohammed Shahabuddin has expressed profound shock at the death of the country's war-time national flag designer and valiant freedom fighter Shib Narayan Das.
In a condolence message, the president prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.
Shib Narayan Das, who had designed the first flag of Bangladesh just before the independence, breathed his last at 9:25 am at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in the capital.
He was born in Cumilla to a martyr's family. His father Satish Chandra Das was captured and killed by the Pakistani army during the liberation war in 1971. He is survived by his wife Gitashree Chowdhury and their son Arnab Das.