United News of Bangladesh

Reminiscing eminent music director and composer Alam Khan who passed away earlier this month, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) organised a special event on Sunday night.  The event featured discussion on the life and works of Khan, a legendary journeyman in the audio industry of Bangladesh.  Besides, several renowned artistes covered some of his famous and popular songs as a tribute to the late iconic composer. Read:Legendary music director Alam Khan is no more Eminent lyricist Gazi Mazharul Anwar, legendary singers including Syed Abdul Hadi, Khurshid Alam and Sabina Yasmin, music director-composer Sheikh Sadi Khan, composer Jahangir Hayath Khan, and Alam Khan’s two sons - Arman Khan and Adnan Khan, joined the discussion programme as special guests. BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky presided over the discussion, while BSA Music Department Director Aftab Uddin Hablu and BSA Secretary Md Asaduzzaman delivered the opening remarks. After the discussion, several popular singers such as Khurshid Alam, Pantha Kanai, Ronty Das and others performed some of his most famous songs including "Ajke Nahoy Valobasho," Chander Sathe Ami Debo na Tomar Tulona," "Orey Neel Doria," "Ami Rajanigandha Ful-er Moto" and more. A record seven-time National Film Award-winning music director, Alam Khan passed away on July 8 at the age of 79.

Tuesday marks the 10th death anniversary of eminent Bangladeshi writer, playwright, lyricist, academician and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed. The legendary litterateur passed away on July 19, 2012 due to colorectal cancer at the age of 63 at Bellevue Hospital, New York, in the United States. Commemorating the death anniversary, his family and several organizations are observing the day with different programmes and events. Humayun Ahmed's widow and actress and singer Meher Afroz Shaon, alongside their two sons Ninit and Nishad, placed floral wreaths at his grave at Nuhash Palli, Gazipur in the morning. Special prayers and Quran Khatam were organized in the morning, and a prayer ceremony was also held to seek the forgiveness of his soul. Orphans will be fed at noon marking this occasion, according to both Shaon and the authority of Nuhash Palli. Himu Paribahan, a renowned fan unit of the prolific litterateur, has been observing this special day since 2013. Members of the platform placed floral wreaths at the writer's grave in the morning. The Kishoreganj district unit of the group is organizing a special book reading season titled "Himu-der Boi Uthsab" from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Gurudayal College Field Muktamancha, while the Narsingdi unit of the platform will commemorate the legend with a special publication titled 'Kachari'. Besides, different units of the platform will plant trees in more than 45 districts and organise awareness programmes against cancer in more than 20 districts. Read: Remembering Humayun Ahmed, a polymath par excellence Several other organisations are also commemorating the day with various events, while fans and admirers are sharing emotional tributes to the legend on their social media accounts. Television channels and radio stations are also airing various programmes, highlighting the life and glorious career of the wordsmith. Channel-i is commemorating the acclaimed filmmaker with a special three-day programme schedule, showcasing three films of the prolific filmmaker including "Amar Achhe Jol" on Sunday, "Shrabon Megher Din" on Monday and "Ghetuputra Komola" on today. Humayun Ahmed was born in Kutubpur village at Mohanganj, Netrakona to Foyzur Rahman Ahmed and Ayesha Foyez on November 13, 1948. In his academic life, he passed the School Certificate (1965) from Bogra Zilla School, Intermediate from Dhaka College and earned his BSc and MSc in Chemistry from Dhaka University with first class. He joined Dhaka University as a lecturer of Chemistry and later went to North Dakota State University in the United States to pursue his PhD in Polymer Chemistry. 'Nondito Noroke' (1972) was Humayun Ahmed's debut novel, which gave Humayun the breakthrough and propelled his career as a writer. The Ekushey Padak winner writer wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of which were bestsellers in Bangladesh to date. Humayun Ahmed won Bangla Academy Award, Lekhak Shibir Award, Shishu Academy Award, Michael Madhusudan Padak, Bachsas Award, and more for his outstanding contributions in his illustrious career to the Bengali culture and entertainment sphere. As a content maker in television, Ahmed debuted with his drama 'Prothom Prohor' (1983) for Bangladesh Television (BTV).  His successful journey in television continued with popular drama serials 'Ei Shob Din Ratri', 'Bohubrihi', 'Ayomoy', 'Nokkhotrer Raat', 'Aaj Robibar' and most notably, 'Kothao Keu Nei' which created a historic hype in the nation - surrounding the lead character 'Baker Bhai', portrayed by veteran actor Asaduzzaman Noor. Humayun Ahmed also explored success as a filmmaker in the early 1990s and went on to make a total of eight films in his filmmaking career, each based on his own novels. Two of his films, 'Syamol Chhaya' (2004) and 'Ghetuputra Komola' (2012) were the official Bangladeshi submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in their respective years. He received seven Bangladesh National Film Awards in different categories for the films 'Shonkhonil Karagar' (as screenwriter), 'Aguner Poroshmoni', 'Daruchini Dwip' and 'Ghetuputra Komola'. The literateur is survived by two sons Ninit and Nishad with his second wife and actor-director Meher Afroze Shaon; and the only son Nuhash Humayun who is currently working in the media industry as a content creator and director, and three daughters Nova, Shila, Bipasha with his first wife Gultekin Ahmed.

An international art exhibition in memory of  world-famous Bangladeshi artist,  the late SM Sultan, was held at Mithila Yain Art Gallery in central Kathmandu, Nepal Friday. Sujata Koirala MP, former deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Nepal, inaugurated the exhibition.

The first edition of the Shilpo Bangla Art Exhibition was inaugurated Monday at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy's National Art Gallery. The exhibition, presented by Mahfuz Canvas and co-sponsored by Moon Calligraphy, is showcasing over 250 paintings, ranging from calligraphies to contemporary artworks. Ekushey Padak winning artist-sculptor Hamiduzzaman Khan inaugurated the exhibition. Mahfuz Canvas, an organisation founded by renowned international artist Mahfuzur Rahman, is the title sponsor of the event. Mahfuzur supported several online and offline art events and exhibitions in the past three years to provide self-taught artists of Bangladesh with a welcoming and encouraging international platform. The founders of Shilpo Bangla, calligraphy artist couple Sultana Mimi and Jamil Ahmed, want to offer a forum for Bangladeshi creative and energetic entrepreneurs. The Shilpo Bangla Art Exhibition will welcome visitors till June 30 from 11am to 7pm. Also read: 'Reminiscence of Dreams': Jogen Chowdhury's solo exhibition goes on

The Faculty of Fine Art (FFA), Dhaka University observed the birth centenary of Shilapaguru Safiuddin Ahmed, the pioneer of Printmaking in Bangladesh, through various events on Friday and Thursday at the FFA campus in the capital. The two-day commemorative fest featured the ceremony of 'Shilpaguru Safiuddin Ahmed Sammanna-2022,' commemorative seminars, the inauguration of a special exhibition, cultural events and a rendezvous of artists from different artistic backgrounds. As part of the birth centenary celebration of Shilpaguru Safiuddin Ahmed, the 'Shilpaguru Safiuddin Ahmed Sammanna-2022' was awarded on Friday to seven eminent Bangladeshi artists by the Faculty of Fine Arts and Printmaking Department of Dhaka University. Eminent Printmaker Kalidas Karmakar (posthumous), artist Professor Mohammad Kibria (posthumous), legendary cartoonist Professor Rafiqun Nabi, Bangladeshi-Spanish artist Monirul Islam, artist Professor Mahmudul Haque (posthumous), artist Shahid Kabir and artist Professor Abul Barq Alvi received this prestigious award, presented by Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor in charge and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Muhammad Samad on Friday at the Bakultala of the Faculty of Fine Arts. The crests were received on behalf of the late artists by Mohammad Kibria's son Nashrid Kibria, Mahmudul Haque's wife Shikha Mahmud, Kalidas Karmakar's sister Sanchita Karmakar, and Shahid Kabir's niece Maliha Masud. Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts Prof Nisar Hossain, artist and son of the Shilpaguru Ahmed Nazir, Chairman of Durjoy Foundation Durjoy Rahman Joy, Convener of Shilpaguru Safiuddin Ahmed Birth Centenary Celebration Council Professor Rokeya Sultana and Member-Secretary Professor Anisuzzaman spoke at the ceremony, which was presided over by the Printmaking Department Chairman Sheikh Mohammad Rokonuzzaman. Earlier on Thursday, different departments of the FFA including Printmaking, Drawing and Painting, Graphic Design, Oriental Art, Craft, History of Art, Sculpture, and Ceramics, alongside several art organizations including the Bengal Foundation, Gallery Chitrak, Gallery Cosmos, Safiuddin Shilpalay and Fine Arts department of Jagannath University, among others, paid tribute to the artist by placing floral wreaths at his grave. A commemorative seminar was held after that at the Osman Jamal Auditorium of the FFA, joined by eminent artist and cartoonist Professor Rafiqun Nabi as the chief guest. Shilpaguru’s son artist Ahmed Nazir, Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin’s son engineer Moinul Abedin, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Fine Arts Department Director Syeda Mahbuba Karim, DU FFA Dean Professor Nisar Hossain were present as special guests at the seminar, while Dhaka University Bangla department chairman Syed Azizul Huq was present as discussant, who shed light on the Shilpaguru as a journeyman, fostering Bangladeshi art. Following the seminar, an exhibition titled "Paramparay Chhapchitra" was inaugurated at the Zainul Gallery I and II and at the artwork collection room, featuring artworks created by 170 eminent and aspiring artists such as Somnath Hore, Quamrul Hassan, Mohammad Kibria, Aminul Islam, Murtaja Baseer, Bijan Choudhury, Devdas Chakraborty, Hamiduzzaman Khan, Rokeya Sultana, and Nisar Hossain. Several artworks of the Shilpaguru have been featured in the artwork collection area, including an oil on canvas piece titled Portrait of Hamidur Rahman and wood engraving works titled ‘Santal Women,’ ‘On Way to the Fair,’ among others.The exhibition will welcome art admirers till June 30.

Cultural institution Chhayanaut has postponed the event to celebrate the rainy season, named after its founding president eminent poet Sufia Kamal, after taking stock of the Covid-19 situation in the country. The event was scheduled to take place Friday at the Chhayanaut Sangskriti Bhaban in the capital's Dhanmondi and be broadcast on Chhayanaut's official Facebook page and YouTube channel. The event "Sufia Kamal Smarok Borshar Onushthan" (Sufia Kamal Memorial Monsoon Celebration) was initiated to mark the 111th birth anniversary of the legendary poet. READ: Chhayanaut pays tribute to Rabindra Sangeet legend Mita Haque "Due to the recent surge in the Covid-19 case test positivity rate, the Sufia Kamal Memorial Monsoon Celebration which was scheduled to be held Friday, Ashar 10, 1429, has been postponed," Chhayanaut General Secretary Laisa Ahmed Lisa said. "We plan to organise this event next month, the Bengali month of Shraban, if the situation improves." Sufia Kamal established Chhayanaut at the end of 1961.

Indian contemporary art maestro Jogen Chowdhury's solo painting exhibition "Reminiscence of Dreams," which began on May 27, is still underway at the Arcadia Arts Gallery in Dhaka's Banani. The exhibition is showcasing more than 100 works of the "Banga Bibhushan" winning artist, also professor emeritus at Kala Bhavana at the Visva Bharati, Santiniketan in West Bengal. The exhibition is featuring artworks divided into different mediums, including drawing and painting with dry pastel, pen, charcoal, brush and ink; printmaking works such as woodcut, etching, serigraph; mixed media on paper, watercolour and more. Painter-cartoonist Rafiqun Nabi and Bangladeshi-Spanish artist Monirul Islam jointly inaugurated the exhibition. Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Art Dean Nisar Hossain and Indian independent art curator Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya joined the event as special guests. Jogen was born in the village Daharpara in Bangladesh's Faridpur district in 1939. Along with his father, the artist went to Calcutta just before the partition of 1947 while the rest of his family went there in 1948. READ: British Council brings exhibition “BANGLA” for local art connoisseurs He enrolled in the Government College of Art and Craft in Kolkata in 1955 and earned his degree there in 1960. After that, Jogen went to Paris in 1965 to study at the Atelier 17 of William Hayter at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1968, he returned to India and started working as a professor of painting at Kala Bhavana in Santiniketan in 1987. Along with his many paintings and shows, he has written extensively about modern art and served as a jury member at several exhibitions.

A three-week photo exhibition titled "Amra Rohingya" or "We are Rohingya" organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in partnership with the Liberation War Museum (LWM) began on Sunday at the Temporary Gallery of LWM, Agargaon in the capital.The exhibition is taking place to mark this year's World Refugee Day, showcasing photos taken by Rohingya refugees and allowing for an intimate look into what life is like for people living in the largest refugee camp in the world.Based on the Rohingyatographer magazine showcasing the photographs of ten talented Rohingya artists living in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, this exhibit allows visitors to learn more about the individuals who have found refuge in Bangladesh, after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar. Read: Rohingyas to stage demo on SundayThis photographic exhibition explores themes of memory, hope, dreams, faith, beauty, craftsmanship, grief, loss, and love among the Rohingya refugees through 50 photographs.Curated by David Palazón, Sahat Zia Hero, Amena Khatun and supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the exhibition features photography by Sahat Zia Hero, Ro Yassin Abdumonaf, Shahida Win, Azimul Hasson, Md Jamal, Abdullah Khin Maung Thein, Hujjat Ullah, Enayat Khan, Md Iddris and Omal Kahir.Additionally, 11 photographs from the Liberation War Museum archives have generously been included, showing the lives and stories of Bangladeshi nationals, who in 1971 were forced to flee and live as refugees, during the Liberation War.

Showcasing the fifty year legacy of uniquely designed old Bangladeshi furniture, Brihatta Art Foundation has lifted the curtain on ‘Sthiti: Objects in Conversation’ on Saturday at its Mukti curatorial space at Mukti Tannery-1, Hazaribagh Tannery area in the capital. Featuring 33 unique and diverse pieces of furniture made by 17 artists, architects, artisans and designers symbolizing different stories, emotions and memories and emotions, the exhibition is the first design exhibition in the country that is highlighting the cultural consequences of furniture as a design object. With the determination to start a new dialogue behind the scenes regarding the craftsmanship of the furniture, the eccentric exhibition is jointly curated by Bangladeshi artist-art educator-curator and Brihatta co-founder Bishwajit Goswami, Korean-American architect and designer Diane Rhyu Taylor and US-based interior architect-interior stylist Ulrike Fellner.

Emphasizing the importance of drawing in the realm of postmodern arts, Gallery Cosmos organized the second edition of its exclusive daylong art event titled “The Passion of Drawing - 2” on Saturday at the Garden Gallery, Baridhara in the capital. Six leading artistic stalwarts of the country including freedom fighter-painter Biren Shome, eminent indigenous artist Kanak Chanpa Chakma, art maestro Farida Zaman, veteran painter Abdus Shakoor Shah, contemporary artist Anukul Mojumder, and young artist Abdullah Al Bashir participated in this daylong event, showcasing their talent through live drawing sketches. The second edition of this special event was supervised by Gallery Cosmos Director Tehmina Enayet and joined by a large number of eminent and influential personalities from home and beyond, including the Norwegian ambassador in Dhaka Espen Rikter-Svendsen. Read: Gallery Cosmos to host 'The Passion of Drawing-2' on Saturday From 11 am to 3 pm, the artists participated in live drawing sessions by drawing a florist woman, Kulsum, who makes garlands at the Shahbagh intersection and a local rickshaw-puller, Mohammad Belal, as the live models on their respective canvases. Accompanied by the majestic tune of flautist and artist Shamol Bishwas, the artists used charcoal, pencil, pastel, acrylic and mixed mediums on their canvases for projecting the live drawings. After the sessions, the artists till 8 pm interacted with prominent and enthusiastic art admirers who came to visit the event and celebrate the togetherness of art and nature at the Garden Gallery’s beautiful, picturesque venue.