Page 294 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

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FIRST GENERATION ARTIST
a. Zainul Abedin
Nisar Hossain

The forefathers of Zainul Abedin were inhabitants of Darirampur village of Trishal
Thana situated in Mymensingh. His great grandfather left Darirampur and came to
Kachijhuli village near Mymensingh town and began to live there. Zainul’s
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grandfather was a trader of thatching grass. He was especially interested in educating
his children but as he died an untimely death his wish remained unfulfilled. His eldest
son Tamizuddin (Zainul’s father) finished Class VIII and went to seek admission to the
Shibpur Engineering School. However, due to the sudden death of his father the
economic responsibilities of the family fell on his shoulders and he was forced to take
the job of Literate Constable in the Police Department. Later he was employed in the
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Kishoreganj Police Station as an A.S.I. of Police and with his wife and daughter found
lodgings at a small house adjacent to the Police Station. It was in this house on the bank fig. 8.1 Zainul Abedin
of the Narshunda River that on 29 December of 1914 at 8:30 in the
morning that Zainul was born. He was nicknamed Tunu. He was the
third child of his parents. His mother Zainabunnessa’s two first issues
were daughters and the next five, sons. Of them the eldest daughter
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Moina died in infancy and the sixth child, the handicapped son
Chanmian died at the age of 16. Although born in Kishoreganj,
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because of his father’s transferable job, Zainul’s boyhood (the first 12
years) was spent in different Police Station areas of Mymensingh
(Kishoreganj, Kendua, Mithamoin and Sherpur). Later in 1926
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Tamizuddin built a chauchala corrugated iron house after buying a plot
of land from his wife’s younger brother near his father-in-law’s house
at Akua Madrasah Quarter area of Mymensingh town. This brought
stability to the education of his children and the family residence. After
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that, till 1932, that is, before Zainul’s admission to the Calcutta
Government Art School he spent his adolescent days in Mymensingh. 7
In those days Mymensingh was one of the regions of Bengal that were
ahead of the others in the practice of art, literature, education and