Page 319 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

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2.
While discussing Quamrul Hassan’s patriotism, the matter of his political
consciousness in personal life and in the style of his art is also worth evaluating.
Political consciousness grew in him as a result of various activities such as
involvement with Forward Block while he was a student of Calcutta Art School during
the 40s, involvement with the writers and artists association against fascism and in the
activities of the people’s theatre, editing the booklets of the All-Indian Student
Federation etc. Other than that, a different kind of political awareness developed in
him as a result of his close association with the Brotochari movement and
involvement with two organizations for children and youth, under the names of
Monimela and Mukulfouz. Because of these activities communalism did not take root
in him, although he was an active supporter of Pakistan. The cartoons he drew for
newspapers are a clear manifestation of his political and social awareness. The
fig. 8.13 Woman cartoons that he published under the pseudonym ‘Bhimrul’ in the 40s in various
Freedom Fighter, ink, newspapers such as Millat, Aloron, Comrade etc. Clearly evidence his sense of
1971 political satire. Among these, two cartoons Bohurupi Fazlul Haque (Manyfaced Fazlul
Haque) (Millat. 1946) and Nazimuddin (Aloron,
1948) deserve special mention. In the first one
Fazlul Haque is seen wearing a sherwani on one
side and dhoti and shawl on theother side of his
body, on one side of his head is a Rumi topi and on
the other side a chaitan. Through this cartoon the
artist has portrayed Fazlul Haque’s oscillating
political views in the contemporary context. In the
second cartoon Khwaza Nazimuddin is seen giving
a speech, standing on a stage stating, ‘Urdu alone
shall be the State Language…’ while Mohammed
Ali Jinnah is seen prompting him from behind.
When Urdu was declared the State Language in
1948, the first opposition came from student bodies
of this country and this disagreement turned into the
Language Movement. Khwaza Nazimuddin, a
supporter of the reactionary rulers of Pakistan stood
in favor of Urdu. This cartoon represents
Nazimuddin’s stand satirically.
This political awareness was not only alive in him
until his death, it also increased gradually. As a
result, he was deeply involved in the political and
cultural movements that took place in favor of
Bengali nationalism, during the 50s and 60s. His
political views were fully expressed by various