Biswas was born in Calcutta to Shri and Sarada Prasad Biswas and grew up at Beltala, studying at the Mitra Institution, Bhowanipur where he was a contemporary of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
[1][3] He was the first Indian to publish original findings on diatoms and iron bacteria of India.
After retiring from the Botanical Garden he became a director of the medical plants scheme of the West Bengal Government in 1954.
He retired in December 1964 but continued to work as an emeritus scientist at the University of Calcutta.
[5][6] Many of his botanical collections, including from Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Orissa, Bihar, Sikkim and South Burma are now housed at the Central National Herbarium in Calcutta.
[1] Biswas was a life member of the Himalayan Club for nearly 30 years and died at his residence on 29 December 1969 at the age of 70.