Brojen Das

Brojen Das
Born(1927-12-09)9 December 1927
Bikrampur, Bengal, British India
Died1 June 1998(1998-06-01) (aged 70)
Calcutta, West Bengal, India
EducationVidyasagar College (BA)
OccupationAthlete
AwardsIndependence Day Award

Brojen Das (Bengali: ব্রজেন দাস; 9 December 1927 – 1 June 1998) was a Bangladeshi (East Pakistan) swimmer who was the first Asian to swim across the English Channel and the first person to cross it six times.

Early life and education

Brojen after his 5th crossing of the English Channel

Brojen was born in the Kuchiamora village of Bikrampur, Bengal Presidency, British India (now Munshiganj, Bangladesh). His father was Harendra Kumar Das. He completed the matriculation exam in 1946 from K. L. Jubilee High School (now K. L. Jubilee High School & College). He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Vidyasagar College in Calcutta.

Swimming

Brojen meeting Queen Elizabeth after his channel crossing (1961)

Since boyhood, Brojen practised swimming in the Buriganga River. On his initiative, the East Pakistan Sports Federation introduced an annual swimming competition in Dhaka in 1953. He was invited to take part in the English Channel Swimming Competition in 1958. As a part of his training, he swam in the Shitalakshya River, in the lower Meghna River, and a distance of 46 miles starting from Narayanganj to Chandpur. Prior to the competition, he also swam in the Mediterranean Sea from Capri to Naples.

At midnight on 18 August 1958, Brojen began swimming to cross the English Channel along with other competitors from 23 countries. He completed the course on the next day after noon.

Brojen crossed the English Channel a total of 6 times from 1958 to 1961. In September 1961, he was congratulated by Governor of East Pakistan, Lt. Gen. Azam Khan, who said "Pakistan is proud of him".

Achievements

Local

International

Awards

Brojen Das receiving the Letona Trophy, 1986

Death

Brojen was detected to have cancer in June 1997. He went to Calcutta, India, for treatment and died there on 1 June 1998. His funeral was held at the Postagola cremation site in Dhaka on 3 June 1998.

Legacy

In 2025, the government of Bangladesh named a swimming pool after him.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rahman, S M Mahfuzur (2012). "Das, Brojen". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  2. ↑ "The first Asian swimmer crosses the English Channel in 1958". Bangladesh Post. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "Legless Vet Forgot About Goal, Jesus". The Bee. Danville, Virginia. Associated Press. 6 September 1971. p. 4-B. Retrieved 29 November 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  4. 1 2 3 "Website of Brojen Das, maintained by his family". Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  5. ↑ "Pakistan is Proud of Him Says Azam". The Morning News (Bangladeshi newspaper). 24 September 1961.
  6. ↑ Pakistan Sports Board Archived 3 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine Awards: Swimming Retrieved 5 July 2010
  7. ↑ Kings of the Channel, Letona Trophy, Channel Swimming Association.
  8. 1 2 "His Fight Against Cancer". Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  9. ↑ Darpan, Pratiyogita (August 1998). "Death". Competition Science Vision. p. 792.
  10. ↑ "ব্রজেন দাসের নামে সুইমিং পুল" [Swimming pool named after Brojen Das]. Jago News 24. 24 April 2025. Archived from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.

Further reading