Page 295 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

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culture. Through the patronization of the zamindars and other prominent persons of
this region there were established quite a number of schools and colleges, beautiful
buildings and welfare-oriented social and cultural institutions in Mymensingh. With
their initiative the Swaraswat Samiti and Mymensingh Sabha were also established in
Mymensingh. Maulvi Hamiduddin Ahmad (1841-1915) of Zainul’s grandfather’s
area, Kachijhuli, was directly involved and active in these associations which played
a very important role also in the Muslim awakening of that area. These institutions
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took the initiative to frequently organize various cultural functions or exhibitions.
Periodicals featuring the writings of renowned poets, litterateurs and researchers and
reproductions of art works of prominent artists of Bengal were also published from
Mymensingh. The first initiative of establishing an art school in the geographical area
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of present Bangladesh was also taken by the learned society of Mymensingh town (in
1886). Nearly all the zamindars of Mymensingh including Suryakanta Acharya and
Jahnabi Devi Chowdhurani supported artists in many ways. With their assistance
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some artists of Mymensingh availed themselves of the opportunity of going to Europe
for education and the fame of quite a few of them spread throughout the whole of
India. The inhabitants of Mymensingh could get regular news through newspapers and
periodicals about the artistic talent and activities of the successful sons of
Mymensingh like Sashi Kumar Hesh, Hemendranath Majumdar or Atul Bose.
Therefore, it is thought with justifiable reasons that living permanently in the
environment of Mymensingh town was the reason behind the development and
manifestation of Zainul’s artistic talent. However, Zainul’s interest in drawing had
probably begun to grow earlier – when he lived in Sherpur. This is because when he
was a student of Ramarangini M. E. School (four years) there was a drawing teacher
there. Possibly it was in this school of his boyhood that Zainul became attracted to
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drawing naturalistic forms. The locality in Sherpur where they lived was inhabited
mostly by Hindus and also had a culturally developed atmosphere. After coming to
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Akua Madrasah Quarters upon leaving Sherpur, Zainul was admitted to the Pandit
Bari Pathshala and that is when he began to show a greater interest in drawing pictures
than in his studies. Often after returning from school he did line drawings with a stick
on the ground of the courtyard at home following the illustrations in the text books. 13
Fearing that his studies might be hampered, his family did not particularly encourage
Zainul in his artistic pursuits. Later in Zilla School and lastly, when studying in the
Mrityunjay School, Zainul became so enthusiastic about drawing that he drew pictures
on the pages of his books and even submitted his examination scripts with pictures
drawn in them instead of writing the answers. The teachers of the school and for that
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matter, the guardians were not overly surprised by such behavior on Zainul’s part. This
was because previously as a student of Class VII, he had won a prize in an all-India
competition for children and adolescents called by Bombay Chronicle for drawing a
picture on the game of golf and they had expectations about the talent and potentiality
of Zainul as a painter. Zainul himself, in the meanwhile, began to prepare himself and
gather information about getting admitted to the Calcutta Government Art School