Professional Awards Of Qazi Motahar Hossain

Qazi Motahar Hossain joined the newly established Dhaka University in 1921 as a demonstrator of Physics while he was a student of M A at Dhaka College. In 1923 he was promoted to assistant-lecturer. In 1948 Statistics M A was established with his own effort and he joined the department. He retired from Dhaka University in 1961. In 1964 he founded the Institute of Statistical Research and Training. From 1964–1966 he served as the founder-director of the institute. He retired from the position of director in 1966.Dhaka University appointed him as honorary Professor Emeritus in 1969.

Motahar Hossain also showed unusual skill in the game of chess. For seven times he was the all India chess champion. He took the lead organizing chess in Bangladesh. He founded the All Pakistan National Chess Federation in 1969. After independence he established Bangladesh Daba Sangha, which became the Bangladesh Chess Federation in 1974.

In 1920's and 1930s he became involved with "Buddhir Mukti Andolon" (Freedom of thought movement) with his intimate friend Kazi Abdul Odud and others as a convener and editor of the organisations official proceeding named Shikha.

In 1975 after the liberation of Bangladesh he became the national professor of Bangladesh. Until his death in 1981 he decorated the position. He was a founder fellow of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences.

Death and legacy

He died in Dhaka on 9 October 1981.

A postage stamp was published by Bangladesh Postal Department to respect his contributions.

Works

• Shancharan (1937)
• Nazrul Kabya Porichiti (Introduction to Nazrul's Poetry) (1955)
• Gonit Shastrer Itihas (History of Mathematics) (1970)
• Alok Bigyan (Optics) (1974)
• Nirbachito Probondho (Collected Essays) (1976)

He contributed to the implementation of logic, lucidity and simplicity of language and clarity in his writings. His first published book Shancharan was praised by Rabindranath Tagore. Bangla Academy has published his complete works in four volumes.

He had also given many speeches in many occasions and written many biographical notes. A collection of his eighteen biographical essays was published in 2004 under the titleSmritikatha by Qazi Motahar Hossain Foundation. The foundation has also reprinted his Gonit Shastrer Itihas in the same year.

Awards

• Bangla Academy Shahitya Purashkar (Bangla Academy Literary Award) (1966)
• Honorary DSc from Dhaka University (1974)
• Nasir Uddin Swarna Padak (Golden Plaque) (1977)
• Swadhinota Dibas Purashkar (Independence Day Award) (1979)
• Mukta Dhara Shahitya Purashkar (1980)