Prof Biraj Mohan Das was born in 1885 at Brahmandi, a village in Faridpur (Now in Bangladesh). He had his early education at Faridpur Zilla School. He obtained Bachelors degree from Cooch Bihar Victoria College and Master’s degree in chemistry from Presidency College, Calcutta.Though he had his early professional career with Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works with Acharya Profulla Chandra Roy, his career with Leather began in the year 1911 when he obtained his M.Sc., degree from Leeds University. He got trained under legendary leather scientist and Procter Das-Stiasny on in Chrome Tanning. Prof B M Das also got trained on practical side of tanning in UK, Germany and Italy.

A to the core, Prof B M Das joined with Sir Nilratan Sarkar at the National Tannery Calcutta in 1914. Establishment of Calcutta Research Tannery in the year 1919 by the side of National Tannery enabled Prof Das to serve both the organization with great dedication. In the year 1924, the Calcutta Research Tannery blossomed into Bengal Tanning Institute.

Prof Das was whole time superintendent of Bengal Tanning Institute from 1934 to 1945 and was given military rank of Colonel and deputed as an Expert in Leather Technology with British Intelligence Objective Committee.
After his retirement he served as an Adviser to West Bengal government and was instrumental in the formation of Indian Leather Technologists Association in the year 1950. Prof Das was appointed as Officer on Special Duty at CLRI in 1951 and joined as the Director, CLRI in 1953. In the words of Dr AL Mudaliar, former Vice Chancellor, Madras University, Prof B M Das“made the institute equal to any other international institute that had been established”

In memory of its Founder Director, The Director and Staff of Central Leather Research Institute have instituted a Prof BM Das Memorial Lecture as a feature of the Tanners Get Together (TGT), which has now transformed into the Leather Research Industry Get-together (LERIG).

Dr BM Das Memorial Lecture Series