Page 313 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

310 ART AND CRAFTS

education in the Calcutta Madrasa did not appeal to him.
His madrasa period is marked only by inattentiveness.
After that his father gave in to his love for art; however he
agreed to Quamrul’s decision under one condition –
Quamrul would have to pay for his own art education.
Under these circumstances, Quamrul enrolled in Calcutta
Government Art School in July, 1938.
From his early youth, Quamrul did not limit himself to
academic knowledge. During his education in M E School
he was a member of Boys’ Scout, he seriously continued
physical exercise (since 1935), got involved in the
Brotochari movement in 1939 and joined the ARP (1940)
during the World War. He developed connections with the
Forward Block, Gononatya Andolon (Peoples’ Theater)
and even with several leaders of the Communist Party, got
involved with the task of mental development of children
and teenagers and contributed to decoration of
publications. Thus the twenty-six years he spent in
Kolkata - before coming to Dhaka in the first half of 1948
– was full of multifarious activities.
As a result of his involvement in multiple social and
cultural activities, he finished his six-year course in the
fig. 8.11 Aksharbriksha, Art School in nine years. Success was inevitable in all of these activities as an outcome
1969 of his complete sincerity. As a result of his ten-year-long regular physical training he
secured first position in the B Group of the Inter College Bodybuilding competition in
1945. His skill enabled him to quickly become the ‘Nayak’ (commander) of the
Brotochari movement and a favourite of Gurusaday Dutt, the founder of the
movement; he also joined the movement’s traveling team to South India as the
youngest member (1940). His involvement in the Brotochari movement exposed him
to the unimaginable strength inherent in Bengali culture. This experience impelled him
to take the responsibility of nurturing Bengali culture throughout his life. Not only
that, he also observed the intrinsic possibilities in the artistic method of the Patuas and
decided to incorporate it in his own art.The Brotochari ideal of nationalism also
inspired him tremendously.
He also displayed his works on the famine of 1943 in an art exhibition arranged by the
Communist Party. At that time he was invited to the meetings and cultural programmes
of the Pragati Lekhak Shilpi Sangha (Pragati Writers’ and Artists’ Association) and
Gononatya Sangha (Public Theatre Association) – and drew many posters centering
around the themes of problems associated with public life.
As early as the 40s he joined ‘Monimela’, an organization for children and adolescents.
When it was impossible to continue work with ‘Monimela’ due to the communal riot