Shib Narayan, first designer of national flag, no more

Freedom fighter Shib Narayan Das, who designed the first flag of Bangladesh, died at a city hospital yesterday. He was 78.

He breathed his last at 9:25am at the Intensive Care Unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, his son Arnab Aditya Das told UNB.

The freedom fighter is survived by his wife Gitashree Chowdhury and son Arnab Das.

His father Satish Chandra Das was killed by the Pakistan army during the Liberation War.

Shib Narayan, who was born in Cumilla, joined politics following Language Movement Hero Dhirendranath Dutta. He participated in the education movement of 1962 and was imprisoned.

He was a leader of the Chhatra League.

On June 7, 1970, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was scheduled to take part in a student parade at Paltan Maidan in Dhaka. For this, the "February-15 Force" was formed. Student leaders decided to make a flag of this force.

On June 6, 1970, then Chhatra League leaders ASM Abdur Rab, Shahjahan Siraj, Kazi Aref Ahmed, and Marshal Monirul Islam sat in room No-118 of then Iqbal Hall, now Sergeant Zahurul Huq Hall, of Dhaka University to discuss the matter.

Chhatra League leader Swapan Kumar Chowdhury, its Jagannath College leader Nazrul Islam, Cumilla district unit Chhatra League general secretary and central leader Shib Narayan Das, Buet Chhatra League general secretary Hasanul Haq Inu and student leader Yusuf Salauddin were present in the meeting.

After a discussion based on the proposal of Kazi Aref, it was decided to make a flag with a yellow map of Bengal in the middle of a red sun on the green ground. Kamrul Alam Khan then stitched a red circle in the middle of a large piece of green cloth from a Bihari tailor's shop in New Market.

Then the map of East Pakistan was drawn on a tracing paper.

Shib Narayan Das finally drew the map in the middle of the red circle. Later, at the instruction of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Patua Kamrul Hasan gave a new look to the national flag of Bangladesh.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock at the demise of Shib Narayan Das.

In condolence messages, they prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.

Among others, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu and General Secretary Shirin Akhtar also expressed shock.