Gyanashree Mahathero

{{Short description|Bangladeshi Buddhist guru (1925–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = Sangharaja Saddharmaditya Srimat | name = Gyanashree Mahathero | native_name = জ্ঞানশ্রী মহাথের | native_name_lang = bn | image = | birth_date = {{birth date|1925|11|18|df=y}} | birth_place = Chittagong District, Bengal Presidency, British India | death_date = {{death date and age|2025|11|13|1925|11|18|df=y}} | death_place = Chittagong, Bangladesh | occupation = Buddhist Monk | years_active = 1944–2025 | father = Prem lal Barua | mother = Menoka Bala Barua | awards = ''See full list'' }}

'''Gyanashree Mahathero''' (18 November 1925 – 13 November 2025) was a Bangladeshi Buddhist monk.<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 May 2020|script-title=bn:ড. জ্ঞানশ্রী মহাথেরোকে সংঘরাজ নির্বাচিত করায় ভারতীয় সংঘরাজ ভিক্ষু মহাসভার অভিবাদন বার্তা|url=http://nivvanatv.net/ড-জ্ঞানশ্রী-মহাথেরোকে-সং/|access-date=4 February 2022|website=NivvanaTV|language=bn}}</ref> The government of Bangladesh awarded him the Ekushey Padak in 2022 for his significant contribution to social service.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |title=Three rice scientists among 24 winners of Ekushey Padak|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/three-rice-scientists-among-24-winners-of-ekushey-padak|access-date=4 February 2022|work=bdnews24.com |date=3 February 2022}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=4 February 2022|title=24 names unveiled for Ekushey Padak|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/24-names-unveiled-ekushey-padak-2953816|access-date=4 February 2022|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

== Biography == Gyanashree Mahathero was born on 18 November 1925 in the village of Domkhali, North Gujra, Raozan, Chittagong District. He stayed at Nandankanan Buddhist Monastery in the Chittagong Hill Tracts from 1958 onwards.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|script-title=bn:প্রতিষ্ঠাতামন্ডলীর জীবনী|url=http://mors.edu.bd/founder/%e0%a6%aa%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%a4%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%b7%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%a0%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%a4%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%ae%e0%a6%a8%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%a1%e0%a6%b2%e0%a7%80/|access-date=4 February 2022|website=Moanoghar Residential School |language=bn}}</ref>

Mahathero became a samanera in 1944 and a monk in 1949. He studied till the entrance. He took the initiative to spread the economic, social, religious and educational life of the Buddhist common people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He established many religious and educational institutions in the hilly and plain areas. In 1974, he set up a monastery, where residential schools were set up to provide general education to poor, orphaned and helpless children in Buddhist communities. He established several Buddhist educational centres at Joypurhat and Rangpur.<ref name=":0" />

Mahathero died at Evercare Hospital in Chittagong, on 13 November 2025, five days before his 100th birthday.<ref>{{cite news |title=বৌদ্ধ ধর্মগুরু জ্ঞানশ্রী মহাথেরর চিরপ্রস্থান |url=https://www.dailyapandesh.com/country/news/42281 |access-date=13 November 2025 |publisher=Daily Pandesh |date=13 November 2025}}</ref>

== Awards == * Ekushey Padak (2022)<ref>{{Cite news |title=24 personalities to get Ekushey Padak|url=https://www.jagonews24.com/en/national/news/60192|access-date=4 February 2022|work=jagonews24.com|language=en-US}}</ref> * Aggamahāpaṇḍita (2023)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cdn.myanmarseo.com/file/client-cdn/gnlm/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/6_March_23_gnlm.pdf|title=Religious titles offered to title recipient Sayadaws and nuns for 2023 together with rice offering ceremony|publisher=The Global New Light of Myanmar|accessdate=2 September 2023}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahathero, Gyanashree}} Category:1925 births Category:2025 deaths Category:People from Raozan Upazila Category:Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Category:Bangladeshi Theravada Buddhist monks