Zahangir Alom

Bangladesh’s art world bid farewell to one of its brightest luminaries with the passing of Professor Hamiduzzaman Khan (1946–2025) on July 20. A remembrance ceremony was held today at the Hamiduzzaman Sculpture Park, located on the premises of Summit’s Gazipur 464 MW Power Plant, where family, friends, colleagues, students, and admirers gathered to honour his legacy. Widely regarded as the country’s foremost sculptor, the artist’s life’s work left an indelible mark on the nation’s cultural and artistic landscape.

On August 17, the Bangladeshi art world pauses in reverence to celebrate and reflect upon the birthdays of two towering figures of our modern art history—Monirul Islam, who turns 82 today, and the late Murtaja Baseer, who would have been 93. Albeit belonging to different generations, both artists carried the flag of Bangladeshi modernism beyond our borders, inscribing their names on the international stage while remaining deeply rooted in their homeland.

In the heart of London’s East End, the Spitalfields Studios Gallery recently unveiled "Echoes of Existence", a solo exhibition by the Bangladeshi artist Ruhul Amin Tarek— representing a thoughtful, spiritually charged journey through form, time, memory, and landscape. With 64 diverse works ranging from woodcuts to drypoints, acrylics to pencil sketches, Tarek invites the viewer into a contemplative realm where art becomes a mirror for inner life, the human condition, and nature’s silent testimony.

The eternal message of Buddhist peace has blossomed in a new light at La Galerie of Alliance Française de Dhaka. The exhibition, titled “The Awakening to Sacred Peace: The Buddha of Bengal”, showcases the wealth of ancient Bengali painting traditions through the works of prominent and emerging Bangladeshi artists. This third edition of the Buddhist-themed exhibition, organised by the Oriental Painting Study Group and Learning Design Studio, reinterprets the aesthetic sensitivity of Buddhist tradition and the spirit of Buddha in Bengal.

Renowned artist Professor Rokeya Sultana has been awarded the prestigious Ekushey Padak this year for her outstanding contributions to fine art. As an internationally recognised artist and a Fulbright Fellow, her deep and unique artistic expression has made her one of the most significant contemporary painters in South Asia.

The 10th Oriental painting exhibition, “Seeking Peace and Harmony”, at Abinta Gallery in the capital’s Uttar Badda area has officially been organised by Abinta Gallery of Fine Arts, in collaboration with Oriental Painting Study Group (OPSG). The opening and award ceremony took place today in the presence of distinguished guests, including Monirul Islam, an internationally renowned artist; Anis A Khan, a member of the Board of Governors, Society for Promotion of Bangladesh Art; Samar Majumder, an eminent artist; Prof Dr Azharul Islam Sheikh, dean of the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka; Zareen Mahmud Hosein, founder of HerStory Foundation; Mikhail Idris Islam, chief adviser of the Oriental Painting Study Group; and Nilu Rowshon Murshed, chairperson of the Abinta Gallery of Fine...

Today, on the 110th birth anniversary of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, we celebrate not only the artist but also the visionary whose profound contributions shaped modern Bangladeshi art that gave a voice to the voiceless.

With a visionary mission to elevate Bangladeshi art to the global stage, Platforms Gallery is gearing up for its inaugural appearance at the prestigious Tokyo International Art Fair, set to take place on November 29 and 30. The works of three Bangladeshi artists—Auntora Mehrukh Azad, Fakhrul Islam Mazumder Shakil, and Tariqul Islam Herok—will be showcased at this global event.