Page 232 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

GRAPHIC DESIGN 229

cover of weekly and monthly magazines. fig. 4.29 Cartoon on
Jayjaydin regularly has drawings on its cover of magazine by
cover (fig. 4.29). Saptahik 2000 Maksudur Rahman
occasionally uses Ranabi’s cartoons on their
covers. However, almost all children’s
magazines have drawing based cover
designs. The use of cartoons in advertising
is growing continuously. Various companies
publicize their products through advertising
in magazines, leaflets, booklets or large-
scale designs by using cartoon type
drawings which will easily attract the
attention of buyers. Government and
private organizations use cartoons to
publicize various social development
projects. The cartoon may be used as an
effective medium to increase public
consciousness. The comic strip or panel
cartoon has not really flourished in our country. However, panel cartoons can easily
communicate with people for educational campaigns.
12. Stamp
The first stamp of the world was published from England on May 1, 1840. The stamp,
popularly known as ‘Penny Black’, had a portrait of Queen Victoria. A few years
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after this, around 1851, the stamp was introduced in the British colony of India.
However, it is learnt from several sources that the postal service was in use in the sub-
continent since the Sultani era. After partition in 1947, changes occurred in stamp
design in both the states of India and Pakistan. During the Pakistani regime (1947-71),
portraits of personalities, architectural or archaeological sites (for example,
Kamalapur rail station, Paharpur or Mainamati) became subjects of stamps. It is
notable that the theme and design of stamps changed with the shift of political power.
Moreover, possibly for this reason, stamp designs of Bangladesh went through a
striking transformation after liberation.
The first stamp was published in Bangladesh on July 29, 1971 during the Liberation
War. In order to raise worldwide public support and compassion in favor of the
Liberation War in Bangladesh, Format International Printing Press of England
published 8 stamps on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh. Biman Mallik
designed these stamps (fig. 4.30). The geographical location of Bangladesh, the
massacre of Dhaka University, 7 crore citizens, the flag of Bangladesh, the election
result of 1970, declaration of the independent government of Bangladesh on April 10,
1971, portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman etc. were the subjects of these first 8 stamps.
Here the name of Bangladesh is printed–Bangla Desh. 74 After liberation, from
December 20, 1971, the activities of the Bangladesh Postal Department commenced.