Page 368 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

SECOND GENERATION ARTISTS 365

of Fine Art. He wrote then, ‘I can clearly visualize
the coming days of our art school. All civilized
nations of the world will come to know our name
one day. Our art and civilization will inspire them.
We shall no more lag behind in thinking and
painting in our own trend. Now our time has
5
come.’ [Trans.]
Hamidur Rahman could not accept the idea of art as
a means to the luxuries in life, livelihood, and
fame. He wanted to remain committed to society.
As the eternal human struggle for life and love
remained the subject of his art, so he also
represented the contemporary political events in his
paintings. The greatest example of his nationalistic
commitment is the Shaheed Minar (figs. 9.3a,
9.3b). After obtaining his degree on fine arts in
London in 1956, he came back to his country. This
is when the government took the initiative to
immortalize the sacrifice of the language martyrs of 1952. Hamidur Rahman an artist
committed to the nation prepared a model and 52 designs on paper for constructing
this Shaheed Minar on the advice of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and PWD Chief
Engineer, Jabbar. Other artists and architects also participated in this competition with
their models and drawings. Hamidur Rahman’s design was nominated in the
competition by the committee constituted of Greek architect Doxiades as the chairman
of the jury, chief engineer Mr. Jabbar, Zainul Abedin and a few government
bureaucrats. A Dutch architect named Jean Dulurand residing in this country co-
operated with the artist in implementing the design of the Shaheed Minar. The work fig. 9.3a (top) The
began in November 1957 and 21st February was observed in 1958 at the incomplete original model and
Minar. By then construction of the base, stage and three columns of the Minar was design of the Shaheed
Minar presented in 1956
completed. Besides, artist
Hamidur Rahman had fig. 9.3b (bottom) The
executed one thousand new design for the
square feet of mural Shaheed Minar to
commemorating the replace the one
Language Movement (fig. demolished by the
9.4). The themes of the Pakistani forces, by
murals were the eternal Hamidur Rahman and
nature of Bengal and the architect Zafar,
photograph after Rafiqul
rebellious expression of Islam, Bangla Bhasha,
Bengalis in the Language Sahitya O Sangskritik
Movement and other Andolon, (Dhaka 2006)