Basu, Ramram (c 1757-1813) munshi at fort william college and writer, was born at Chunchura in Hughli. He knew Bangla, Persian and Sanskrit and learnt English through his close association with Christian missionaries.

Ramram Basu began his career as the munshi of William Chambers, Persian interpreter at the Supreme Court in Kolkata. Then he worked as the munshi of Dr John Thomas in 1787 at Debhata in Khulna and of william carey from 1793 to 1796 at Madnabati in Dinajpur. In 1800 he joined Carey's serampore mission and printing press. In May the following year he was appointed assistant teacher of Sanskrit at Fort William College on a monthly salary of Rs 40 and continued to hold that post until his death.

In 1801 Ramram Basu wrote Raja Pratapaditya Charitra in prose to serve as a Bangla text book for the college. It was the first original Bangla book in prose written by a Bengali. It was printed at the serampore mission press. In 1803 the college council granted him an honorarium of Rs 300 for writing this book. He also wrote Christastava (1788), Harkara (1800) a hundred-stanza poem based on the Gospels, and Jnanodaya (1800), a poem in praise of christianity and denigrating hinduism, and Christabibaranamrta (1803), about jesus Christ. He also wrote Lipimala (1802), a book of prose. In 1902 he translated two Christian psalms into Bangla. He also helped Carey translate the bible into Bangla. He died in Kolkata on 7 August 1813. [Sushanta Sarker]