Ranadaprasad Saha

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Ranadaprasad Saha (Bengali: রণদা প্রসাদ সাহা)(1896-1971) philanthropist known as RP Saha, hailed from Mirzapur under Tangail District. He was born on 15 November 1896 at his maternal uncle's house at Kachhur under Savar, Dhaka. His father name was Debendranath and mather was Kumudini Saha. He was born in a very poor family could not have much education. He lost his mother at the age of seven and suffer much. He fled home to Calcutta at the age of 16.

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Contents

[edit] Early Life

[edit] Working Life

  • He joined the Bengal Ambulance Corps and went first to Iraq and then to Karachi in First World War.
  • As reward for his services rendered to the wounded, Ranadaprasad was commissioned in 1916 in the newly formed Bengal Regiment.
  • After the war was over, he met George V.
  • He, got a service in the Indian Railway department as war veteran.
  • In 1932 he lost the job and started a small business in salt and coal in Calcutta.
  • He bought a ship named 'Bengal River'.
  • Ranadaprasad was appointed one of the agents to buy food grains for the Government. * He bought 3 powerhouses at Narayanganj, Mymensingh and Comilla and owned the 'George Anderson Company' of Narayanganj (make jute bales).
  • He also started a leather business.

[edit] Philanthropist and Patron of Learning

  • Ranadaprasad, now a fairly rich man, dedicated himself to the service of the suffering humanity.
  • During the Famine in 1943 he maintained 275 gruel houses to feed the hungry for 8 months.
  • A charitable hospital at his native village Mirzapur on the river Lauhajang on 27 July 1944, the hospital was opened by Richard Casey, Baron Casey, the Governor of Bengal.
  • To spread female education he founded in 1942 a fully residential school at Mirzapur and named it 'Bharateswari Bidyapith' after Bharateswari Devi, his grandmother. In 1945 this institution was renamed 'Bharateshwari Homes'.
  • Founded the 'Kumudini College' at Tangail in 1943 and the 'Debendra College' at Manikganj in 1944 to commemorate his mother and father respectively.
  • He set up the 'Mirzapur Pilot Boys' School', 'Mirzapur Pilot Girls' School', and 'Mirzapur Degree College'.
  • The Maternity Wing of the Dhaka Combined Military Hospital was established with his financial support.

[edit] Award

  • In appreciation of his bounteousness the British Government conferred on RP Saha the title of Ray Bahadur.
  • He was posthumously awarded by Independence day award as a recognition of his social works.

[edit] Death

On 7 May 1971 he was killed along with his son by the Pakistani occupation army at the time of the Liberation War of Bangladesh.