Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

148 ART AND CRAFTS


principles- democracy, nationalism, socialism and secularism of the first government
formed after the Independence.
Important among the monuments outside Dhaka district is the Mujibnagar
Smritishoudha (Mujibnagar Memorial). It has 23 pillars which represent the prolonged
sacrifice and struggle to achieve independence (fig. 2.52). Architect Tanvir Karim
created the primary design in accordance with the national tradition and the struggle for
existence. The monument resembles the rising sun. The 23 standing pillars, each 20 inch
thick are centered around the main base on a round column with a radius of 160 ft. The
height of the walls in the shape of right angled triangles is 9 to 42 ft. Combined together
these represent rays from a rising sun. The 23 pillars symbolize the movement for
independence over a period of 23 years from 1948 to 1971. In the memorial the place
where the first Prime Minister took oath has been demarcated as a rectangular area with
ceramic bricks. 119
Another remarkable monument outside Dhaka is the Smriti Amlan installed on the
island of Birshrestha Shaheed Captain Jahangir Road in the Vadra intersection of
Rajshahi town in North Bengal. The monument is 80 ft. high from the ground. The main
column is built box shaped at the base. There are three such columns side by side. They
go straight upward successively. There are 10 holes in each with a total of 30 holes. A
sphere is at the top of the column. To indicate the progress of the self-determination
movement, 24 steps are marked on it. It represents the 24 years of movement from 1947
to 1971. The height of the steps from the base upward progress geometrically. The sun
of independence is placed at a height of 71 ft. from the ground. Thirty holes on the
column signify the 30 lac scars from wounds created in the heart of the motherland in
the struggle for independence. Each hole bears the memory of one lac martyrs. 120
Nineteen students of Comilla Victoria College were martyred in the War of Liberation.
In their memory a monument entitled Shadhinata (Independence) designed by the
architect couple Dr. Nizamuddin Ahmed and Zebun N. Ahmed was built at the college.
The monument is 18 ft. in height from the ground. It was constructed by placing 71 four
cornered blocks made of stone and cement placed in variation in 6 steps. The 71 blocks
symbolize the War of Liberation of 1971. The six steps refer to the six points based on
which the movement for the Independence of Bangladesh achieved completeness. A
block in the first step stands for Pahela Baishakh (the Bengali New Year) which is a
symbol of Bengali culture; two slightly sunken blocks in the second step represent the
two earlier movements which are lost to memory. In the third step, there are 7 blocks
which symbolizes the historic 7th March. A total of 21 blocks on the 4th step uphold the
memory of the Language Movement. The 26 blocks on the 5th step represent the
proclamation of independence on the 26th of March and on the 6th step the 16th blocks
symbolize the Victory Day on 16 December. 121
Though the whole monument is in white, the names of 27 martyrs are written in black
ink on a memorial plaque at the top of the main base.
Translated by M. Saifullah, Bangladesh Television, Dhaka

SCULPTURE 149



Notes and References
1. A very clear presentation of the available information has been recently published by Abu Imam
‘Samatata, Mainamati: Some Observations’, in Archaeology of Eastern India: New Perspectives, (G.
Sengupta & S. Panja, (eds), (Kolkata 2002), 613-23.
2. Such rituals are evoked by Xuanzang in relation to a hill located near Gaya in Bihar. Samuel Beal, Si-
yu-ki, Buddhist Records of the Western World, Translated from the Chinese of Hiuen Tsiang (AD 629),
London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., n.d. (popular edition, two volumes in one), 2, p. 113,
they relate evidently to the Southeast Asian concept of the “temple mountain”, where a temple is
actually built as image of Mount Meru, centre of the universe and of the kingdom; moreover, Mount
Meru, being also the centre of the Buddhist cosmology, the Buddhist themselves might have been
involved in such rituals. Only one Brahmanical temple has been traced on the hill whereas nearly fifty
Buddhist sites have been listed: this reminds of the situation in Pagan, where only one Brahmanical
temple, the Nât-hlaung, had been erected within the precincts of the old city, being most probably used
for rituals at the time of enthronement.
3. For a good summary of the historical and geographical background, see Krishna Biswas, The
sculptural Art of Ancient Bengal (Vanga and Samatata), (New Delhi 1995), pp. 11-26.
4. Ibid., pp. 16-17. The Sarvani is illustrated by: Huntington Susan L. Huntington, The “Pala-Sena”
Schools of Sculpture, (Leiden 1984), fig. 26 (& p. 205); Biswas, op.cit., 1995, pl. 2; Sisir Kumar Mitra,
ed. East Indian Bronzes, (Calcutta 1979), fig. 61.
5. Joachim Bautze, “Stucco Decoration in Bengal and Pagan during the Pala Period,” Journal of Bengal
Art 4: 359-72, 1999, pls 19-23 & pp. 365-9.
6. Claudine Bautze-Picron, The Art of Eastern India in the Collection of the Museum für Indische Kunst,
Berlin, Stone & Terracotta Sculptures, (Berlin 1998), cat. 282 & pp. 14 notes 75-76, 105 notes 22-24,
106 notes 31-32.
7. Naseem A. Banerji, ‘The Mihrabs in the Fourteenth Century Adina Mosque in Pandua, India:
Evidence of the Reuse of late Pala-Sena Remains,’ in Studies in Hindu and Buddhist Art, P.K. Mishra,
(ed.), pp. 207-22, (New Delhi 1999), Banerji considers that the mihrabs in the Adina Mosque, Pandua,
have been elaborated by re-using “late Pala-Sena remains”; this might be true in some cases, but the
author observes (p. 213 concerning fig. 14) that the upper part of what should be a monstrous face has
been partly replaced by a triangular element consisting completely of foliated scrolls; now, the two
halves match each other perfectly and it is highly probable that the whole composition was carved by
the same artist(s). For a presentation of architectural stone carvings in Bihar and Bengal, see Bautze-
Picron 1998, pp. 14-15 & 104-13.
8. Sandrine Gill, ‘Notes on Chronology and Style: Evidence from Mahasthan,’in Archaeology of Eastern
India: New Perspectives, G. Sengupta & S. Panja, (eds), pp. 41-65, (Kolkata 2002), pp. 45-46, where
the rare elements of evidence are listed (conflict between Jains and Buddhists in the Mauryan period;
2nd c. BC inscriptions on the vedika of the main stupa of Sanchi, of pilgrims hailing from
Pundravardhana; terracottas in “Mauryan” and “Sunga” styles discovered in Bengal; ceramics
stamped with “Buddhist” (?) prophylactic symbols, from the early centuries of our era, found at
Mahasthangarh).
9. Ibid., pp. 41-51 & figs 1-2 concerning the Buddha found at Mahasthan where it is kept in the site
museum, and notes 11 for the Buddha found at Biharail, Rajshahi District and now kept at the Varendra
Research Museum, and 33 for the Kushan fragmentary image preserved in the Asutosh Museum {add
to it: S.K. Saraswati, Early Sculpture of Bengal, Calcutta 1962, pl. I.1, Anasua Sengupta, Buddhist Art
of Bengal (From the 3rd century BC to the 13th century AD), Delhi 1993, pl. 5}.
10. S.K. Saraswati, op.cit., pl. I.3 & pp. 11-12; Frederick M. Asher, The Art of Eastern India, (Delhi
1980), pl.3 & p. 11 for discussion of the date; A.K.M. Shamsul Alam, Sculptural Art of Bangladesh,
Pre-Muslim Period, (Dhaka1985), pp. 47-48.
11. Visnu: Saraswati, op.cit., pl. I.4; Asher, op.cit, pl. 12 & p. 21 (4th c. AD); 2) Visnu: Ibid., pl. 37 & p.
32 (5th-6th c. at the earliest); Shamsul Alam, op.cit, fig. 1 & p. 48 (2nd c. AD); 3) Surya: Asher, op.cit.,
pl. 14 & p.21 (4th c. AD).

150 ART AND CRAFTS


12. Asher, Ibid., pp. 92-93 for a discussion and a summary of previous studies concerned with this group
of 63 images.
13. 1 Frederick M. Asher, “The effect of Pala Rule: a Transition in Art, Journal of the Indian Society of
Oriental Art,” XII-XIII: 1-6, 1981-83, p. 4. Here is their list: 1° both Ganexa images, dated in the
reigns of Gopala and Mahipala (Huntington 1984, figs 50 & 53); 2° Marici collected at Bhavanipur
(Bautze-Picron 2001, fig 21 and pp. 272-5 concerning the iconography and the origin); 3°
Avalokiteœvara, collected at Vikrampur (Bautze-Picron 1991/92, p. 266, note 59 for the references).
Similar examples could be listed in North Bengal, among which the most evident example of import
is the Buddha of Satimandagi, Bochaganj, Dinajpur district which was produced in the atelier of
Kurkihar, Bihar (Shamsul Alam 1985, fig. 53). Further, the presence of bronzes evidently cast in
Bangladesh, in the sites of Kurkihar and Nalanda testifies to the existence of relationship between
Magadha and the region of Mainamati (references in note 24).
14. R.D. Banerji, “The Mediaeval Art of South-Western Bengal”, The Modern Review for December,
1929: 640-649 and Gautam Sengupta, ‘Art of South-Western Bengal: A Framework for Enquiry,’ in
South Asian Archaeology 2001, C. Jarrige & V. Lefèvre, eds, (Paris 2005), II, pp. 649-658 for a clear
presentation of the situation.
15. Nihar Ranjan Ray, Karl Khandalavala, & Sadashiv Gorakshar, Eastern Indian Bronzes, (New Delhi
1986), figs 30-34, 36.
16. Ibid., figs 35, 53, 58-60, 61, 66-71, 73-75.
17. For a discussion of the question and a presentation of the available Brahmanical images, see Gill,
op.cit., pp. 53-57. The Buddha image from Namuja belongs to the same trend: the representation of
folds draws its origin in Mathura but has been here most probably channelled through Nalanda.
18. Ray & alii, op.cit., fig. 121; Asher 1980, op.cit., pl.229; Huntington, op.cit., fig. 267.
19. Image collected at Mahashtan: Huntington, ibid., fig. 268; Asher, op.cit., pl. 230. A further similar
bronze in the British Museum, from Bogra district (perhaps Mahasthangarh ?) is illustrated by Asher
1980, pl. 231, or Ray & alii 1986, fig. 204.
20. Huntington 1984, figs 273-276; Ray & alii, op.cit., figs 186-187, 189-192, 263-264, 268-269.
21. See for instance Ray & alii 986, fig. 186.
22. Huntington, op.cit., figs 271, 277, 282; Ray & alii, op.cit., figs 237-238, 242, 275-276
23. The most famous one was discovered at Chandipur, near Pathargatha in Bhagalpur district, Bihar (see
for instance Nalini Kanta Bhattasali, Iconography of Buddhist and Brahmanical Sculptures in the
Dacca Museum, Dacca 1929, pls XV-XVII & pp. 45-53). One should briefly here notice that common
stylistic features are noticed between 12th c. cast images of Vishnu and of Buddhist deities which were
recovered in Bengal, more particularly in North Bengal, and in Bihar, making the attribution to a
region very difficult when the image appears without known provenance on the Western art market.
24. 1° At Kurkihar: see Ray & alii 1986, fig. 265; Gerd J. Mevissen, 1999, “Images of Mahapratisara in
Bengal: Their Iconographic Links with Javanese, Central Asian and East Asian Images,” Journal of
Bengal Art 4: 99-129, pl. 8.4 & 120, footnote 11 for further references. 2° At Nalanda: see Bautze-
Picron 2004, fig.23 & p. 255 appendix 33 with further references & Mitra 1979, op.cit., fig. 109. 3°
Bronzes collected in Java and their impact on the development of the art of the bronze in the island
have been catalogued and studied by Pauline Lunsingh Scheurleer, & Marijke J. Klokke, Divine
Bronze, Ancient Indonesian Bronzes from AD 600 to 1600, Catalogue of the Exhibition organised in
collaboration with the Society of Friends of Asiatic Art held in the Department of Asiatic Art,
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam April 30-July 31, 1998, (Leiden 1998), pp. 27-30 & cats 14-17. 4° A Vishnu
image collected at Kumarpur, Rajshahi district, is most probably also a product from the ateliers
located in Southeast Bengal, unless it is based on a South-eastern model (Asher 1980, pl. 239; Ray &
alii 1986, fig. 130 – with further references).
25. Asher 1980, pls 247-53; Huntington 1984, figs 252-55; Ray & alii 1986, figs 37, 40,42-43, 166-167,
195, 207; Shamsul Alam 1985, figs 25-28; Mitra 1979, fig. 113. The Shiva collected at Barisal (Asher

SCULPTURE 151


1980, pl. 25”, Ray & alii 1986, fig. 167), although found in the region, shares its composition with the
8th c. cast images from North Bengal.
26. Debala Mitra, Bronzes from Bangladesh: a study of Buddhist images from District Chittagong, (Delhi
1982) & Asok K. Bhattacharya, Jhewari Bronze Buddhas, A Study in History and Style, (Calcutta
1989); Huntington 1984, figs 256-62; Ray & alii, figs 214-31; Shamsul Alam 1985, fig. 29; Mitra
1979, figs 28, 85-88, 91-92.
27. Huntington 1984, fig. 280; Ray & alii 1986, figs 261, 272; Bhattasali 1929, pls XXIX, L-a.
28. Bautze 1995; Enamul Haque, Chandraketugarh: A Treasure-House of Bengal Terracottas, (Dhaka
2001); Shyamalkanti Chakravarti, Bengal Terracottas in the Indian Museum, (Calcutta1998): for a
catalogue of Bengal terracottas preserved in the Indian Museum, Kolkata. Another site near
Mahasthan, Mangalkot, has yielded an extremely large collection of “snake-deities”, belonging
probably also to the 6th c.
29. Asher 1980, pl. 41 & p. 34; Gill 2002, fig. 5, p. 55 & note 38 for further references. Two medallions
from the site belong to the same period: Saraswati 1962, fig.45.
30. See Gouriswar Bhattacharya, and Pratapaditya Pal 1991. “Early Ramayana Reliefs from Bangladesh,”
Orientations 22/8: 57-62 (and their p. 62 for further references). See also Gautam Sengupta, 1992,
‘Pâla Period Terracotta Finds from North Bengal,’ Pratna Samiksha 1: 183-90 for a presentation of
sites having yielded terracottas in North Bengal.
31. To be mentioned are: 1) a capital from Sonarang, Dhaka District, including an image of Vishnu, seated
(Bhattasali 1929, pl. LXXIV & p. 228; Kalyan Kumar Dasgupta, Wood Carvings of Eastern India,
Calcutta 1990, pl. 22); 2) two pillars, from Rampal, Dhaka District (Bhattasali 1929, pl. LXXVII-
LXXVIII & pp. 273-4; Dasgupta 1990, pls 27-28, 29 & 31); 3) a panel with niche adorned with a
woman, found at the North Kazi Qasba, Dhaka (Dasgupta 1990, pl. 16; Biswas 1995, pl. 48); 4) a
similar panel with a man from Vikrampur (Enamul Haque, Treasures in the Dacca Museum, Part One,
Sculptures & Architectural Pieces, Dacca 1963, p. 13); 5) a lintel found in Vikrampur (Bhattasali
1929, p. 274). Beside these architectural elements, three iconic sculptures are known, showing
respectively Vishnu (Bhattasali 1929, pl. XXVIII & pp. 82-83), Garuda (Bhattasali 1929, pl. XLI &
p.109; Biswas 1995, pl.49) and Avalokiteshvara (Haque 1963, pp. 12 & 17). See Dasgupta 1990, pp.
49-80, in particularly pp. 51-54, 65-66 & Biswas 1995, pp. 46-47.
32. See ‘Woodwork’ chapter of this book for detailed descussion
33. S.K.Saraswati, Early Sculptures of Bengal, (Calcutta 1962), 91.
34. Md. Hafizullah Khan, Terracotta Decoration on Muslim Architecture, (Dhaka 1988), 91.
35. Ibid., 100-102
36. A.H.Dani, Muslim Architecture of Bengal, (Dhaka 1961), 68-69.
37. Hafizullah Khan, op.cit, 159.
38. Zulekha Haque, Terracotta Decorations of Late Mediaeval Bengal : Portrayal of a Society, (Dhaka
1980), 24.
39. Loc.cit.
40. D. McCutchion, Late Mediaeval Temples of Bengal, (Calcutta 1972), 5.
41. Zulekha Haque, op.cit.
42. R.Sanyal, “Social Aspect of temple building in Bengal,” Man In India, Vol. LXVIII, 1969, no.3, 201-219.
43. David McCutchion, “Banglar Poramatir Mandir”, Sampratik, Jyaishta-Bhadra, ( Calcutta 1971), 1.
44. S.Mitra, Hoogly Jelar Deva-Deul, (Calcutta 1971), 16.
45. Mukul Dey, Birbhum Terracottas, (N.Delhi 1959), 8.
46. Zulekha Haque, Terracotta Temples of Bengal, (Calcutta 1995), 71-73.

152 ART AND CRAFTS


47. Janak Jhankar Narzary, "Swadhinata-Purbo Bharatiya Bhaskarya [Bastabdhara]", Charukala, First
Year, Second issue, (Dhaka 1994), 47-49.
48. Kamal Sarkar, Bharater Bhaskar O Chitrashilpi, (Kolkata 1984), 92.
49. Arun Ghose, Art of Bengal 1850-1950, (Calcutta 1997), 7.
50. Friends of India, (Srirampur 21 August, 1845).
51. K. Sarkar, op.cit., 93
52. K. Sarkar, loc.cit., A. Ghose, op.cit., 7.
53. Partha Mitter, Art and Nationalisim in Colonial India, 1850-1922, (Cambridge 1994), 33.
54. Tapati Guha Thakurta, The Making of a New ‘Indian Art’, (Cambridge 1992), 58.
55. Loc.cit.
56. G.C.M. Birdwood, The Arts of India, (Sussex 1986), 125.
57. Ibid., 223.
58. T. G. Thakurta, op.cit., 58.
59. Ibid.,59.
60. Ibid., 70.
61. Ibid.,70-71
62. Jogesh Chandra Bagal, History of the Govt. College of Art & Craft, (Calcutta 1966), 2.
63. J. J. Narzary, op.cit., 47-49.
64. Ibid., 52.
65. K. Sarkar, op.cit., 191-192.
66. Arun Ghose, op.cit., 15.
67. J.C. Bagal, op.cit., 20.
68. K. Sarkar, op.cit., 200.
69. Ibid., 19.
70. Mrinal Ghose, Samakalin Bhaskarya, (Kolkata 2001), 91.
71. K. Sarkar, op.cit., 125.
72. P. Mitter, op.cit., 117.
73. J.C. Bagal, op.cit., 32.
74. K. Sarkar, op.cit., 125.
75. J. J. Narzary, op.cit., 54.
76. P. Mitter, op.cit., 118.
77. Loc.cit.
78. Ibid., 227-228.
79. Ibid., 228-233.
80. J.C. Bagal, op.cit., 21.
81. J.J. Narjary, “Sculpture in Art Schools-1850-1950”, Nandan, (Santiniketan 1994), 33-34.
82. Jaya Appaswamy, Modern Indian Sculpture, (Delhi 1970), 10.
83. Edward Lucie-Smith, Sculpture Since 1945, (London 1987), 7-15.
84. K. Sarkar, op.cit., 237.
85. J. J. Narzary, Charukala, op.cit., 55.
86. A. Ghose, op.cit., 19.

SCULPTURE 153


87. K. Sarkar, op.cit., 52-53.
88. Ibid., 20.
89. Ibid., 116-17.
90. Ibid., 79-80.
91. J. J. Narzary, op.cit., 58-59.
92. Ibid., 58.
93. Jaya Appaswamy, op.cit., 12.
94. J.J. Narzary, “A history of environmental sculpture and Ramkinkar Baij”, Nandan, (Santiniketan
1980), 27-28.
95. Ibid., 27
96. J. Appaswamy, op.cit., 13.
97. Mrinal Ghose, op.cit., 121-122.
98. Nazrul Islam, Abdur Razzaque, (Dhaka 2003), 27.
99. Ibid., 23.
100. Nasimul Khabir, Garan O Upakaran, Oikya O Boichitra, (Dhaka 2006).
101. Nazrul Islam, ‘Hamiduzzaman Khan a Modern Sculptor’, in Akhter Jahan (lvy) (ed.), Hamiduzzaman
Khan a Modern Sculptor, (Dhaka 2005).
102. Loc.cit.
103. Loc.cit.
104. N. Khabir, op.cit.
105. Moinuddin Khaled, ‘The Contemplative Sculpting’Solo Sculpture Exhibition, Ivy Zaman, (Dhaka 2003)
106. N. Khabir, op.cit.
107. In assessing the global context of the War of Liberation of Bangladesh, it is to be noted that there was
a distinct polarization of power between the socialist and capitalist countries during that time. The then
Soviet Union and the East European countries gave their support to Bangladesh during the Liberation
War. Naturally after independence the civil and military officials, diplomats and cultural personalities
from Bangladesh visited those countries. They saw the sculptures on the theme of the socialist
revolution and this experience influenced their concept of sculpture. The reminiscences of Major
General Amin Ahmed Chowdhury in this context give us some idea about the situation. He narrated
that he had the opportunity to travel to the then East Germany and the East European socialist
countries after the War of Liberation. Observing the sculpture of those countries he was inspired and
encouraged and rendered all out cooperation to Abdur Razzaque to build a sculpture named,
Muktijoddha (Freedom fighter) at the Chourasta or crossroads in Jaydevpur. Major General Amin
Ahmed Chowdhury discussed this at a memorial discussion on Abdur Razzaque organised by Gallery
Dots on 3 February 2006. Reviewing the sculptures of the Liberation War, two trends are distinctly
visible. One of them upholds the ideal of Socialist Realism and wish to express the revolutionary ideas
of socialist sculptures. The other trend is very distant from reality and displays ideals of the
independence and a variety of information through symbols. Symbols used here include the hand,
rifle, water-lily, the sun, pillar, significant numbers and many other objects. --Editor
108. Rabiul Hussain, “Bangladesher Sampratik Bashkarja Shilpa”, The Daily Dainik Sangbad, 5
September 1991.
109. Shamsul Wares, “Bashkarja Shilpa O Khaleder Aparajeyo Bangla”, The Weekly Shandhani, 16
December 1979.
110. For details see Hamiduzzaman Khan, Contemporary Art Series of Bangladesh -41, Bangladesh
Shilpakala Academy.

154 ART AND CRAFTS


111. For details see Zahid Hasan Selim, “Swaparjita Shadinatar Shilpi Shamim Sikdar,” The Weekly Chitra
Bangla, 8-14 April, 1986.
112. For detail Nurullah Mahmud, “Shadhinata Juddha O Krishi Bishwabidyalaya”, The Daily Dainik
Dinkal, 16 December 1991.
113. Forhad Ahmed, “Krishi Bishwabiddalayer Vashkarja Nirman Shuru” ,The Daily Dainik Ittefaq, 26
December 1998.
114. Kashem Mahmud, “Chattagram Biplob Udyan Shadinatar Prothom Juddha Hoyechhilo Jekhane”,
The Daily Dainik Bangla, 2 August 1995. For more, Samaresh Baidya, “Chattagramer Prothom
Muktijudher Vaskarja”, The Daily Dainik Bhorer Kagoj, 20 January 1996.
115. Asif Siraj, “Shadinata Manchitra Er Sandhaney, The Daily Dainik Bhorer Kagoj, 19 August 1996;
For more, Major General Syed Mohammad Ibrahim Bir Pratik, “Mukti Juddher Smriti
Sangrakkhane Tinti Shapana”, Dhan Shaliker Desh, Bangla Academy, 26 Year, 4th Volume,
October-December 1998.
116. For detail, Tania Haq, National Memorial Complex in Savar (The unpublished term paper of the
Architecture Department of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology), Page not
numbered.
117. Monoj Roy, “Jatiya Smritishaudho Ek Sthapatyik Bismoy” , The Daily Dainik Bhorer Kagoj, 21 June
1993.
118. Forthnightly Detective, 11 September 1987.
119. Mahmud Hafiz, “Palashir Odure Baidyanathtalay Gathito Hoyechhilo Shadin Banglar Biplobi
Sarkar,” The Daily Dainik Jonokontha, 17 April 1994.
120. The Daily Dainik Sangbad, 30 October 1991.
121. Titash Chowdhury, “Tinti Smritihoudho”, Dhan Shaliker Desh, op.cit.

SCULPTURE 155


pl. 2.1 Marriage of Xiva and
Pârvatî, Mandoil, Rajshahi
District, Varendra Research
Museum, Rajshahi, © Gerd
J. Mevissen
pl. 2.2 Avalokiteshvara,
Mahasthangarh, Bogra
District, Varendra Research
Museum, Rajshahi; after
Asher 1980, pl. 228
pl. 2.3 Visnu, Sonarang,
Vikramapura, Indian
Museum, Kolkata;
afterBhattasali 1929, pl.
XXIX
pl. 2.4 Laksmi,
Mahasthangarh Museum

pl. 2.5 Rama breaking the
bow, Palashbari,
Mahasthangarh, National
Museum of Bangladesh,
Dhaka; after Bhattacharya &
Pal 1991, fig. 6

156 ART AND CRAFTS


pl. 2.6 Flying figure,
Mahasthangarh Museum

© Joachim K. Bautze



pl. 2.7 (bottom)
Life of aristocrats
portrayed on Kantanagar
temple

SCULPTURE 157









































pl. 2.8 (top)
Taking pleasure tirip by
boat

pl. 2.9 (bottom)
Europeans marching with
guns

158 ART AND CRAFTS

























































pl. 2.10 (top)
Ship carrying Europeans

pl. 2.11 (bottom)
Europeans drinking

SCULPTURE 159

















































pl. 2.12 (top left)
Ramkinkar Baij, Santal
Family, 1938
pl. 2.13 (top right)
Novera Ahmed, cement
pl. 2.14 (bottom) Abdur
Razzaque, Head of a
Woman-1, bronze, 1964,
photograph courtesy Dots

160 ART AND CRAFTS


pl. 2.15 (top left)
Anwar Jahan, Boy,
wood, 1967

pl. 2.16 (top right)
Hamiduzzaman Khan,
Smritir Minar, painted
steel, Bangladesh
National University,
Gazipur
pl. 2.17 (bottom) Alak
Roy, Steps to an
Ecology of Mind,
terracotta, 2004

SCULPTURE 161


pl. 2.18 (top left)
Shamim Shikdar,
Darvesh, bronze, 1971

pl. 2.19 (top right)
Enamul Huq Enam,
Bangladesh-1971,
bronze, 1996

pl. 2.20 (bottom left)
Rasha, Life-2, wood,
1983

pl. 2.21 (bottom right)
Akhtar Jahan Ivy, Mud
House, bronze, 1999

162 ART AND CRAFTS


pl. 2.22 (top) Mrinal
Haque, The Horse Car,
iron

pl. 2.23 (bottom left)
Ferdousi Priyabhashini,
Gracious Time, root,
2006

pl. 2.24 (bottom right)
Mostafa Sharif Anowar,
Treaty, stone, 2004

SCULPTURE 163














pl. 2.25 (top) Maynul Islam
Paul, Silent Discourse, paper,
2005

pl. 2.26 (bottom left) Mukul
Muksuddin, Ugly, bronze, 1998

pl. 2.27 (bottom right) Shyamal
Chowdhury, Himalay, fiber glass,
2004, photograph courtesy Dots

164 ART AND CRAFTS


pl. 2.28 (top left)
Sudipto Mallik Sweden,
Different Faces of Truth,
mixed media, 1995
pl. 2.29 (top right)
Farzana Islam Milky,
Expression-1, brass,
2005

pl. 2.30 (bottom left)
Kabir Ahmed Masum
Chisty, Shadow, mixed
media, 2005

pl. 2.31 (bottom right)
Imran Hossain Piplu,
Prince with Water
Melon, mixed media,
2005

SCULPTURE 165


pl. 2.32 (top left)
Sheikh Sadi Bhuiyan,
Search for Heritage,
cement, 2003
pl. 2.33 (top right)
Nasimul Khabir, Borak-
3, cement, 2003

pl. 2.34 (bottom)
Mahbubur Rahman,
Time in a Limbo,
cement and brick, 1994

166 ART AND CRAFTS


pl. 2.35 (top left) Syed
Abdullah Khalid,
Aparajeyo Bangla,
University of Dhaka
pl. 2.36 (top right)
Nitun Kundu, Sabash
Bangladesh, University
of Rajshahi

pl. 2.37 (bottom left)
Syed Moinul Hossain,
National Memorial,
Savar,
photograph Z.I. Bhuiyan

pl. 2.38 (bottom left)
Syed Moinul Hossain,
National Memorial,
Savar,
photograph Z.I. Bhuiyan

3




PRINTMAKING
Rashid Amin


The Origin and Development of the Art of Printmaking
There is scope for some discussion on the origin of printmaking before examining the
subject of the prints of Bangladesh. Printmaking as a medium is different from all
other media of visual art because it is an indirect medium. Etching a wooden slab or
metal plate, coating it with ink or painting on a stone and then taking a print on paper
is the primary characteristic of prints. In other words, a print is a work of art produced
through the medium of printing. It is not known where, when and how the first print
of the world was made, but it may be presumed that the print originated at a developed
stage of the intellectual advancement of man. The method of tracking game by
following footprints can also be considered to be a way of using prints which opened
up the intellectual consciousness of man. Even the print of the hand of the cave man
may be termed an early print.
The prints that we now execute are of a much more advanced stage. The advancement
in technology which has occurred with the development of science and knowledge has
also influenced printmaking. The most ancient method of printmaking has evolved to
take the form that it has today and in time has been recognized as a medium of art of
classical stature. In the early stages the process of printmaking was essentially
invented out of human necessity. It was established as a separate medium of art much
later. In the beginning seals made of clay or carved in stones were the instruments for
marking an article and wooden blocks came in to currency for the purpose of printing
cloth. As the method of printing on cloth with wooden blocks is a most ancient one,
1
likewise seals too are a most ancient printing process. It was, however, the Chinese
who first invented the process of taking prints by applying a coat of ink. 2
According to official Chinese records, it is known that paper was first discovered in
AD 105. The effort to print on paper began simultaneously. But before the seventh
century no marked success is noticed in this area. At first, it was attempted to take
prints in the same process as taking impressions of seals. Later the process of taking
prints through rubbing was invented. This discovery brought a considerable
advancement in the medium of prints. ‘The oldest surviving prints made with rubbing
method are Buddhist charms, printed and distributed in Japan in AD 770 . . .. Pictorial
woodcuts may have appeared in the east some time before the eighth century. The

168 ART AND CRAFTS


earliest examples positively dated occur in the roll of the Diamond Sutra, an important
Buddhist scripture, printed in AD 868.’ 3
Although the method of printing advanced to some extent in some countries of the
east, it commenced later in the west. In Europe it was in Spain that paper was first
invented in the twelfth century. The first printing press was invented in Germany of
Europe in 1454-55 AD. A German named Gutenberg was its inventor. The relation of
printmaking with the printing industry is inseparable. When books began to be
published in the printing press, the need for pictures for the decoration of books was
also felt. To meet this need engraving on wooden blocks and also on metal plates
began to be produced and those pictures were added to the text. The Bible that
Gutenberg published from his press had various ornamentations in it. The Renaissance
in Europe in the fifteenth century also can be said to have influenced an inconceivable
advancement in the medium of prints.
Wood block print, wood engraving, metal engraving, etc. can be considered to be the
earliest media in prints. The art of lithography originated later, in the eighteenth
century. With the introduction of this medium a revolution occurred in printmaking. A
German playwright named Alois Schenefelder discovered this method of taking prints
by working directly on limestone slabs. This can be considered to be the earlier form
of modern offset printing. This medium played an extensive part in the printing
industry and in the art of printmaking. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when
different experimentations and innovations were going on in modern art, this medium
interested artists in a new way and provided new inspiration.
The printmaking that is practiced in our country at present is primarily the western
type. This means, it is a continuation and advancement of what had been initiated
during the Renaissance. Only in Japan and China there is still in practice an
indigenous method of printmaking; however, this has also declined as the process is
considerably complicated. In the middle of the seventeenth century Japan reached the
peak of excellence in the art of woodcut. A tradition called ‘Ukiyo-e’ was introduced;
‘Ukiyo-e’means ‘the floating world’which is a theory related to the Buddhist religion.
The great artists of this tradition are Hokusai and Hiroshige. Afterwards in the later
half of the nineteenth century Japanese woodcut prints acted as an inspiration behind
the growth of Impressionism in France. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries the art of printmaking developed remarkably. After the Second World War
the tide of printmaking swept through America. This period saw the extensive practice
of lithography and serigraphy.
The Introduction of Printmaking in Undivided Bengal: The Company Rule
It may be said that printmaking or the art of printing was introduced in Bangladesh by
foreigners. Before the advent of the Portuguese and the English there was no printing
technology in circulation in this country. But some information hints at the possibility
of there being a method of printing in use here. ‘... although sometimes immature
efforts of printing with the aid of carved wood or terracotta plates is noticed, it is not

PRINTMAKING 169


easy to point out the various stages of transformation beginning with handwritten
manuscripts in palm leaves and cotton paper to printed books . . . Dineshchandra Sen
has remarked in this regard that, he himself had seen nearly two-hundred year old
manuscripts completely carved on wooden blocks in the Tibetan or Nepalese process.
But at the same time he has said that the method was not generally in use, a temporary
effort can be considered a presage of the regular practice of a special method or
discipline of learning.’ [Trans.]
4
It is undeniable that it was only after the arrival of the Portuguese and the British that
printing in the real sense was introduced. The credit of first importing printing
machinery to India goes to the Portuguese. The Portuguese came to this country and
established settlements in Goa in 1498 AD and imported the printing machinery at the
beginning of the sixteenth century. The motive behind this was to preach Christianity
among the people by publishing religious books. The printing press was established in
Kolkata much later in 1778. The linguist scholar of the East India Company Nathaniel
Brassey Halhed wrote a book for the purpose of teaching the Bengali language to the
newly arrived British official employees, to print examples in Bengali for that book the
Bengali letters were made. Another scholar of the Company, Charles Wilkins
constructed the Bengali letters. In 1778 for the first time printed matter in Bengali was
published. At the end of the eighteenth century three English missionaries established a
press in Serampore. The head of the missionaries was later to become the famous cleric
William Carey. The main intention behind establishing the press was preaching religion,
to interest the natives in Christianity by printing the Bible in the Bengali language. Right
after the press was set up by the English its influence gradually began to manifest itself
among the people of our country. The interested people of our country could also learn
many things from the English employees of the press. There was an artist employed in
the Serampore Mission Press. His name was John Lawson. He lived in India from 1787.
Lawson was a printmaker. He printed the illustrations needed for the decoration of
books by engraving them in wood or in metal plates. It can be supposed that it was from
him that quite a few Bengali block makers received their training. In 1774 Kolkata was
declared the capital of British India, following which groups of European people of
different professions started crowding into this country. Besides traders and ordinary
people seeking their fortune, quite a number of artists arrived in this country. ‘Between
1769 and 1820 sixty artists arrived in this city.’ [trans.]
5
Some of these artists also practiced the art of engraving. The flavor of the art of
engraving with purely aesthetic and artistic characteristics outside the printing
industry is to be found in the works of the English artists. This means that the ideas
behind the engravings that developed in Italy and Germany following the ideals of the
Renaissance were brought to this country through the English artists, even if in a
limited way. The important artists of the print medium of that time were William
Hodges (1780-83), two artists named Thomas and William Daniell, and Charles
D’Oyly. Firstly, these artists traveled to different places of interest in India and painted

170 ART AND CRAFTS


transparent watercolors; besides which they also did very realistic sketches;
consequently they made engravings and published albums for sale. These artists also
made a considerable amount of money from this. Hodges first published Select Views
of India (1786-88), following in his footsteps Thomas and William Daniell published
Oriental Scenery (1795-1808) and Picturesque Voyage of India. Charles D’Oyly also
printed engravings from many sketches with Dhaka and Kolkata as his subject; the
artists did some of these engravings themselves while some of the work was also
executed by professional engravers. Thomas and William Daniell engraved all their
work themselves and also printed them themselves without any other assistance. The
engravings of Charles D’Oyly were completed by the Royal Engraver of London.
However, he himself was enthusiastic about this medium. He set up a lithography
machine where he worked at Patna (1831) and did the printing himself. Later, after the
establishment of ‘The Calcutta School of Industrial Art’ (1854) engraving, wood cut
and lithography were taught according to the academic method and an institutional
foundation was gradually established for printmaking.
An Introduction to Prints Based on Dhaka during the Company Rule
Charles D’Oyly was an English civilian. He was employed as a Collector in Dhaka
from 1808 to 1811. Painting was his hobby. Engaged in duties in Dhaka he drew
pictures of various historical structures. Later, he printed these pictures from
engravings and published them in an album which is known by the name Antiquities
of Dhaka. This is not just an album of pictures, this is a book and a thoroughly
research-based volume in which the history of the middle age of Dhaka town has
found its place. These pictures present an image of Dhaka as it was at the beginning
of the nineteenth century. Dhaka, which was the capital of the province of Bengal
during the Mughal rule, has been captured in the sketches of D’Oyly in a state of
decline (fig.3.1). It is presumed that the pictures were executed between the years
1808 and 1811, but they were published in the form of an engraved book between the
fig. 3.1 Charles D`Oyly, years 1824 and 1830. The engravings of this book published from London were
Part of the Interior of executed by the Royal Engraver John Landseer F.M.A. The engravings were executed
the City of Dacca, with great skill. The art of engraving, the development of which had started in the
engraving
times of the Italian Renaissance in the
fifteenth century, had attained
sufficient maturity in the nineteenth
century, the proof of that can be seen in
these pictures. Although executed in a
studio of London, these engravings
may still be taken as an initial example
of prints related to Dhaka, even if the
growth of the art of engraving or other
prints by the artists of Dhaka happened
nearly a hundred and fifty years later.

PRINTMAKING 171


The Printing Industry in Undivided Bengal and the Practice of Printmaking
The main subject to be substantiated in this research is the art of printmaking.
However, to search for its origins, the initial technology of printing books and the
related subject of the illustrations printed for them with blocks naturally come into
context. During the Company rule of undivided Bengal when the technology of
printing gradually entered this country it is noticeable from the very beginning that the
effort was made to add illustrations to the books published. It was those pictures that
were the first specimens of the prints of Bengal which are known as the Bat-tala prints.
The distinguished researcher on Bat-tala prints, Professor Sukumar Sen, composed a
very objective volume which documents the Bat-tala prints in the Bengali language.
There is a difference of opinion about when the printing press was inaugurated by the
Bengalis. But Sukumar Sen has expressed the view that even before Bat-tala
6
Harachandra Roy set up a press in about the year 1816 in Arpuli Lane.
The Bat-tala press was set up under the initiative of Bishwambhar Dev. Exactly when
this occurred cannot be known but in about 1817 poetry by Bharatchandra was printed
in this press. From the third decade of the nineteenth century many presses were set up
in the surroundings centered around the Bat-tala area, for example, in Haatkhola,
Balakhana and Darjipara. As a result of many printing presses being installed in Bat-
tala and its environs throughout the second and third decades of the nineteenth century,
a small scale ‘book publication revolution’ took place. On the list of published books
were poetry, one-act plays, religious volumes, folktales, Puranas, Vedavedanta, etc. In
the very beginning only printed texts were published, later, illustrations were also
added to them. These were printed after being engraved on wood blocks and metal
plates and these were the first specimens of prints made by the Bengalis.
The Oonoodah Mongul is considered as the first illustrated book of the Bengali
language (fig. 3.3), it was printed in 1816 in the Ferris Press and Bat-tala inherited its
legacy. “The first Bengali book that was published with illustrations was
Bharatchandra’s Oonoodah Mongul. (Here let me state, it is unknown whether it was
connected with this or not, but illustrations were continuously being added to fig. 3.2 Print signed by
Bharatchandra’s book in Bat-tala.) This contained six engraved pictures. The number of Ramchand Ray in
pages of the book was 6+317. The table of contents was named ‘Nirghantan.’ The print Oonoodah Mongul
was not in broken lines as in poems like
that of Serampore, it was as in Bengali
puthis, like continuous prose. The type
is that of Serampore.” [Trans.]
7
The artist’s name is engraved in only
two prints, which state, ‘Engraved by
Ramchand Ray’ (fig. 3.2). It is
supposed that the rest of the
illustrations were also the work of
some native artist. Probably

172 ART AND CRAFTS


fig. 3.3 (top) Ramchand was an employee
Oonoodah Mongul holding a relatively high post in
the Ferris Press owned by the
fig. 3.4 (bottom) English and naturally knew
Bat-tala Print
English. It may also be supposed,
that either by imitating the English
or by learning from them, he
started practicing engraving.
In the books of Bat-tala the first
example of illustrations can be seen
in the poetry of Kavikankana
Mukundarama; here five
illustrations were added engraved on
metal plates. The name of the artist
is absent; it was executed in the
indigenous style of Bengal. It was
published in 1823-24. After 1831
illustrations were a regular feature of
Bat-tala books. Most of them were
engraved on wood blocks or metal
plates. On analysis it becomes
apparent that most of these
illustrations are done in the folk
style, as opposed to the naturalism of
the European Academic
method, a kind of fantasy pervades the images. The influence of the rich and
ancient heritage of patachitra is very clear here and the narrative tendency
in the style of the Mughal school of painting is also noticeable; most
importantly, these illustrations are completely Indian in character. The
currency of engraving in the Western Academic method occurred
later, when the Art School was established.
Many of the artists of the Bat-tala prints are unknown. May be like
craftsmen they engraved professionally in exchange for money
and it is doubtful whether they received the honor of recognition
as artists. The names of quite a few artists were recorded later
when the practice of engraving the artist’s name with the original
picture became the custom. These artists are Ramdhan
Swarnakar, Bishwambhar Karmakar, Gupicharan Swarnakar,
Panchanan Das, Nafarchand Barujje, Nettalal Dutta, Heera Lal
Karmakar, Madhabchandra Das, Panchanan Karmakar (fig. 3.4).
The professional titles of these names indicate that, the artisans of

PRINTMAKING 173


the group of goldsmiths and blacksmiths engaged themselves as metal engravers and
the carpenters employed themselves in engraving on wood.
The prints of Bengal began with the engraved pictures of Bat-tala. This grew out of
necessity with the interest of illustrating books; later, after the academies were
established, printmaking went beyond actual necessity and was established in this
country as an excellent medium of art.
The Beginning of the Academic Method in Printmaking and the Development of
Creative Prints
During the Company period, beginning in the later half of the eighteenth century to
the middle of the nineteenth century, the art of this country was undoubtedly
influenced by the art of Europe due to the English and European artists coming to
India. In 1839 the Kolkata based British community took the initiative and founded
a completely private institute of art education, the Mechanics Institute. In 1854 there
was established ‘The Calcutta School of Industrial Art,’ which evolved into the
‘Government School of Art and Craft’ (1864). In the syllabus of the Art School along
with various disciplines of painting, considerable importance was also placed on
printmaking. Methodical education in the media of lithography, engraving, woodcut,
etc. was initiated. But it was during the period when it evolved into the School of
Industrial Art that printmaking developed a strong base, ‘Under Thomas Francis
Fowler, a teacher of the School of Industrial Art wood engraving was practiced by
nearly thirty students. A number of English books and periodicals were illustrated
with their combined skills. The engraved pictures produced under the joint initiative
of the students of the School of Industrial Art illustrated the book by Captain D.L.
Richardson On Flowers and Flower Gardens (1855).’ [Trans.] In the School of
8
Industrial art considerable importance was given to printmaking and this in turn
greatly influenced the students. ‘In the past century (nineteenth) during the fifties, in
1, Zig Zag Lane there was established the Royal Lithographic Press, the people
behind it were, Dinnath Das, Nabinchandra Ghosh, Hiralal Das and Teen Kari
Majumdar, of the School of Industrial Art. Established in the era of the Sepoy Mutiny
their Royal Lithographic Press was the first Art Studio of Bengali artists. There were
facilities for working in painting and other subjects besides engraving and
lithography in this studio.’ [Trans.]
9
Later in the Calcutta Government School of Art and Craft which was the evolved
form of the School of Industrial Art, considerable emphasis was placed on prints. The
successful students of the early days of this school, Annada Prasad Bagchi and
Shyamacharan Srimani both achieved great skill in the various media of printmaking.
Annada Prasad’s initial fame was for the illustrations of the two famous books of
Rajendra Lala Mitra, Antiquities of Orissa and Bodh Goya. 10 The greatest
achievement of Annada Prasad Bagchi was establishing Calcutta Art Studio (1878)
along with other students. There were arrangements for marketing litho prints from
this studio. In fact, the Art Studio grew from the acceptance of printmaking as a

174 ART AND CRAFTS


profession. Modern Academic paintings were
moving at the same pace as the printed pictures
of Bat-tala at that time.
The printmaking of Bengal emerged as a true
medium of art around the early twentieth century
in the ‘Thakur Bari’ of Jorasanko. “Neo- Bengal
School art movement recognized the importance
of printmaking with a delay – in about 1916 AD;
at that time the ‘Bichitra Sabha’ of the Thakur
Bari of Jorasanko became the main center of that
movement. During this period Gaganendranath
was enthusiastically involved in drawing
caricatures on socio-political reality and it was
with the intention of circulating these pictures
among the general public that he established a
litho press in the Bichitra Sabha. This event,
however, is considerably significant in the art of
fig. 3.5 Safiuddin modern Bengal. It was centered around the Bichitra Sabha press that the artists of the
Ahmed, On the Way to Neo-Bengal School of painting tended to become interested in printmaking. It was not
the Fair, wood only that one of the collections of cartoons by Gaganendranath Adbhut Lok (1917) was
engraving, 1947 published from this press, among the other picture books that were published was the
introduction to the alphabet Chitrakhshar (1924-25) that contained pictures drawn
directly on stone slabs.” [Trans.]
11
This press of the Bichitra Sabha was later removed to Santiniketan. The Kala Bhavana
of Santiniketan also played a considerable role in the development of the art of
printmaking. Nandalal Bose joined the Kala Bhavana of Santiniketan as a teacher in
1920. Along with other art media he placed special importance on printmaking, as a
result of which a special center of printmaking also developed in Kala Bhavana. In
1922 the Indian Society of Oriental Art organized a large exhibition of the works of
the German Expressionists. Fifty-five prints found place in the exhibition. As a result
of the exhibition the misgivings that the artists had about the qualities and importance
of the medium of printmaking were removed. 12
It was in Bichitra Sabha that Mukul Dey became quite enthusiastic about printmaking.
He acquired special skills working from 1915 to 1919 in the etching and dry point
techniques (fig. 1.14). When he was employed as the Principal of the Calcutta Art
School he placed special emphasis on prints and established it on an equal footing with
other media. Later Ramendranath Chakravorty teaching in the medium of printmaking
in the Calcutta Art School was instrumental in developing many qualified artists.
Among them Safiuddin Ahmed (fig. 3.5) and Haren Das (fig. 1.15) deserve mention.
The contribution of Surendranath Kar behind establishing the printmaking studio at
Santiniketan is considerable. Later the famous printmaker Somnath Hore joined the
Graphic Art Department of Kala Bhavana.

PRINTMAKING 175


The printmaking studio of Kala Bhavana of Santiniketan
grew into a remarkable center of printmaking. It was here
that Ramendranath Chakravorty received his education. He
learnt lithography from Surendranath Kar and woodcut from
the French teacher André Karpellés. The international
connection of Santiniketan also played a great part in the
growth of printmaking. But if truth be told, the foundation of
printmaking at Santiniketan was built by three artists,
Nandalal, Ramkinkar, Binode Behari. They developed a new
printmaking movement by engaging in various kinds of
experiments. These three great artists worked untiringly in
the media of woodcut, linocut, etching, dry point, etc.
The famine of 1943 brought an extensive change to the
thoughts and consciousness of the artists. This period saw the
advent of many artists, among them were Zainul Abedin, Chittaprasad Bhattacharya fig. 3.6 Somnath Hore,
and Somnath Hore. The Famine Series by Zainul is an excellent reflection of social Krishakder Sabha
consciousness. Although he did not do much work in the medium of prints, a linocut (Peasants’ meeting),
executed by him on the famine theme has been found. Chittaprasad and Somnath Hore woodcut, 1951
(fig.3.6) were directly connected with the movements for social progress. They
became dedicated printmakers whether it was with the intent of distributing one
picture among many people or due to the strength of the medium itself.
Printing Outside Kolkata Before the Partition
Kolkata was the center of everything in undivided Bengal and as the capital of British
India it was transformed into a large city. Starting from renowned litterateurs, artists,
social reformers, all the prominent persons of all professions lived in Kolkata. It was
in Kolkata that presses were established, and the trade of the printing industry of Bat-
tala grew. As the center of the English rule in India it was in Kolkata that all their
activities related to printing developed. However, it was not that there was no activity
at all outside Kolkata. Dhaka was considered to be the largest town after Kolkata.
The history of Dhaka, the most important town of East Bengal, is very old. In 1610
AD Dhaka was given recognition as the capital of the province of Bengal. That lead
to the building of many beautiful structures in Dhaka and it flourished extensively. In
the writings of Charles D’Oyly it is mentioned that among the beautiful places of India
Dhaka was the most beautiful. In the middle ages the muslin and jamdani of Dhaka
13
were renowned throughout the world. Dhaka also enjoyed fame for crafts and
woodwork. But there cannot be found any noteworthy examples of printing activities
in Dhaka parallel to China where even today prints for the New Year in the folk style
are in circulation. However, the culture of printing cloth with wooden blocks is very
old in both the Bengals. If we take the money mint to be a most ancient kind of
printing press, then it appears that in this country the printing press of this type was
established way back in the middle ages. At first the mint was established in
Sonargaon, later in Dhaka.

176 ART AND CRAFTS


‘In the 1280s Sonargaon was conquered by the Sultan of Delhi and it started to grow as
the second capital of Bengal. The first coins were circulated from Sonargaon in 1305
AD.’ 14 [Trans.] Later, another mint was discoverd in Sonargaon which had been
established in the sixteenth century. Subsequently, during the Mughal rule and the
15
Company period money mints were established in Dhaka. ‘During Mughal rule the
Nawabi Mint was installed in the fortress of Islam Khan adjacent to Chawkbazaar. At
present the jail hospital has been built there. After the fall of the Mughal Empire and
during the rule of the East India Company up to 1772 AD the money of the Company
was minted in the Dhaka mint. In that same year the mints of Dhaka, Patna, Murshidabad
were closed down. From 11 August 1792 the money of the Company started to be minted
once again from the newly established mint of Dhaka. But after 31 January 1797 the
Company’s money was never minted again in the Dhaka mint.’ [Trans.]
16
This mint is perhaps the earliest event related to the Dhaka centered establishments of
printing. With the passage of time printing presses for printing books were established
in Dhaka. In 1849 the first press named Katra Press was established by the East
Bengal Missionary Society. The printer of this press was the Swiss citizen Samuel
Bost. In 1856 the English established the Dhaka News Press. The Director of the
17
press was Alexander Forbes of Scotland. 18
In Kolkata Bengalis took the initiative and established the printing press right at the
beginning of the nineteenth century. But in Dhaka the printing press was established
by Bengalis in 1860. The initiators behind establishing the printing press in Dhaka
were Bajrasundar Mitra, Bhagaban Chandra Basu, Kashikanta Mukhopadhyay, among
others. It was in 1860, right in the first year, that the immemorable creation of
Dinbandhu Mitra Nil Darpan was printed in this machine. Rangpur was ahead of
Dhaka in establishing the printing press. In 1847 Rangpur Bartabaha, a weekly
magazine was published from Rangpur. Rangpur Bartabaha is thought to be the first
periodical published in East Bengal. It was published with the financial assistance of
Kalichandra Roy Chowdhury, the Zamindar of Kuntee Pargana of Rangpur, who was
an enthusiast for knowledge. Guruchandra Roy was responsible for the overall
direction and editing of this periodical. 19
The first newspaper published from Dhaka, Dhaka Prakash, was published in 1861.
There is no evidence till now as to whether woodcut and engraved pictures like those
in use in the Bat-tala printed books were also used in the presses centered in Dhaka.
One article does give proof of an illustrated book that was published from Dhaka,
“The only illustrated book listed is Sitanath Basak’s 5-page Silpa Siksha, ‘a few
general rules, with illustrations, . . . for drawing figures and forms of flowers, leaves,
creepers &c,’ printed at the Shital Yantra, 1885 . . . If the author was the printer
Sitanath Basak then he was evidently an artist and engraver also.” 20
For blocks Dhaka was dependent on Kolkata. But the printing of the very old literary
magazine Saurabh published from Mymensingh was of a sufficiently high standard.
Often colored pictures were printed in this magazine. In one issue the painting
Nagnika (Female Nude) by the famous artist Hemen Majumdar, had also been

PRINTMAKING 177


published. The illustrated page was of better quality than the pages of the main text
and the pictures were printed from a different press and at the bottom of each one the
name of the press was printed, for example, Ashutash Press, Dhaka. 21
This perhaps proves that there were presses for printing pictures in Dhaka at that time.
But the famous editor Mizanur Rahman (the editor of Mizanur Rahmaner Troimasik
Patrika) in one of his articles on his reminiscences has said that there were no notable
block making establishments in the Dhaka city. In his memories of 1949 he described
a few presses in Dhaka where printing was done in letterpress. There was just one
block-making establishment in Islampur in front of the Lion Cinema named B. S.
Block Company. The blocks were not made through any scientific process. They were
blocks made by the use of hammer and chisel on hot lead. There is a small description
22
on the subject of blocks in the autobiography of artist Aminul Islam. Reminiscing on
the events of 1948 he says that for making blocks things had to be sent to Kolkata. 23
Starting from the British period before ’47 to the ’80s there existed in Dhaka quite a
few lithopresses, at present they have disappeared due to the overwhelming
domination of the offset press. These litho presses printed anything from film posters
to the colored pictures of magazines and periodicals. Although at present not much
information and proof can be found to substantiate this.
The Partition of the Country, the Beginning of Dhaka-Based Art Education and
the Foundation of Academic Printmaking
In 1947 India was partitioned. The option was given to the Hindus and the Muslims to
select their own country. In this context many Muslims of West Bengal came to East
Pakistan and many Hindus of East Pakistan went to West Bengal. Dhaka slowly began
to acquire the character of a big city as the capital of East Pakistan. Many new
institutions were formed. In 1948 under the leadership of Zainul Abedin the Art
Institute was established. The founders were Zainul Abedin, Quamrul Hassan,
Safiuddin Ahmed, Anwarul Haq and others. Safiuddin Ahmed had by then earned
sufficient renown throughout India as a printmaker. When the Art Institute was
founded there was another teacher called Habibur Rahman. He had been a skilled
teacher of woodcut in Kolkata.
There was no example of any other art education institution in Dhaka city at the time.
But that is not to say that there were not one or two regional art institutions in a small
way – for instance, in 1904 in Khulna under the leadership of Shashibhushan Paul was
founded the Maheshwarpasha School of Art, the institute which Zainul Abedin also
admitted was the first educational institution of fine arts of East Bengal. Some
specimens of art practice in Dhaka town during the rule of the Nawabs can be found,
for example, associated with an artist named Alam Musabbir who with the
patronization of Nawab Nusrat Jang executed quite a number of paintings of Eid and
Muhurram. The period of their execution was from the end of the eighteenth century
to the beginning of the nineteenth century. Before the partition of the country, it was
Kolkata that was the recognized center of artistic and cultural exercise. Although

178 ART AND CRAFTS


delayed, in 1948 an institute for education in the fine arts was finally founded in
Dhaka. The practice of printmaking commenced. Among the few departments of the
Government Institute of Art there was also a Printmaking Department. Through the
efforts of Safiuddin Ahmed and Habibur Rahman from the very beginning of the
educational program quite a number of students became attracted to printmaking in
wood. Instances of woodcut prints done during the beginning of the ’50s by some of
the earliest students, Aminul Islam, Hamidur Rahman, Qayyum Chowdhury, Murtaja
Baseer, Abdur Razzaque and others are available. In Aminul Islam’s reminiscences the
information related to woodcut or engraving reports that, Safiuddin Ahmed’s woodcut
and wood engraving was an inspiration for all. After doing a few woodcuts Aminul
Islam wanted to do wood engraving. For engraving the wood has to be cut in cross
section, not like planks. In those days jackfruit wood cut in cross section was available
at Bangsal in Dhaka, for the purpose of making blocks for printing saris, though that
wood was unfit for fine work. In spite of that he did his first wood engraving on it, a
gourd hanging from a trellis with the shadow of the trellis falling on it. This print later
found its place in the first exhibition of Dhaka. Safiuddin Ahmed bought one copy of
this picture as the example of the best work in the print medium. It was a matter of
great pride to a student at that time. 24
The foundation of the art of printmaking of Bangladesh was laid at the very initial
stages of the institutional education of fine arts and it is undeniable that the fame of
Safiuddin Ahmed as a Kolkata centered printmaker played a considerable part in this.
Upon establishment of the art school in Dhaka the Academic method of education in
fine arts was introduced. The Printmaking Department initially began with the practice
of only woodcut and wood engraving. Later, other media were introduced like etching,
dry point, lithography etc. It was through the initiative of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin
that at the end of the ’50s an etching press and a litho press were imported from
abroad. In 1967 the Pakistan Government donated this department another litho press
25
as a grant. Finally in 1995 a high quality etching press and a litho press was handed
over to this department as a grant by the Japan Government.
The Pioneers of Printmaking of Bangladesh
Safiuddin Ahmed was born in 1922. It can be said that the printmaking of Bangladesh
began its journey under his guidance. In 1942 he completed his education in fine arts
from Kolkata Government Art School. He finished the Teacher’s Training Course in
1946. He worked as a teacher in the Calcutta Government School of Art from 1946 to
1947. Coming to Dhaka, in 1948 he played a pioneering role in establishing the Fine
Arts Institute. He joined this Institute as the Head of the Printmaking Department.
While residing in Kolkata Safiuddin Ahmed had already gained considerable fame as
a distinguished artist in the field of printmaking. His skill in all media of printmaking
is remarkable. In his early days as an artist, he did a number of wood engravings on
realistic subjects that took him to the height of success. In this series of engravings
based on the life of Santals his skill as well as artistic excellence, is evident. His wood

PRINTMAKING 179


engravings of this stage follow the heritage of the European tradition. Safiuddin
Ahmed’s medium had changed at different stages of his practice. We can divide it into
two parts, the Kolkata period and the Dhaka period. In the Kolkata period the majority
of his pictures are landscapes executed in the realistic method, man too has been added
to the landscapes. He features captivating scenes of the Santal Parganas in his work,
with skilful hands the landscape of places like Dumka, Mayuraskshi etc. are
represented in his prints. Some of the prints of this period are Santal Women (1946)
wood engraving, On the Way to the Fair (1947) wood engraving, Dumka (1945)
drypoint, Homeward Bound (1944) wood engraving. In these instances he has used the
wood engraving, drypoint and etching aquatint methods. In the Dhaka period with the
change in the character of his pictures a new diversity is seen in his media also. By this
time various changes also took place in the global sphere of the pictorial arts. Those
changes also touched Safiuddin’s works. In the Dhaka period we do not see many wood
engravings, notable rather is the dominance of soft-ground aquatint, etching aquatint,
engraving and other media. Combining the various media of printmaking he became
involved in experimentation as in Receding Flood (1959) softground aquatint, Fishing
Time (1957) etchings aquatint, Flood (1959) aquatint. In this period he introduced a
somewhat design-oriented method instead of a completely realistic style. In these prints
men, nature and all else is recognizable but in geometric shapes. In 1958 he went to
London for higher education in the print medium; he received training on the subjects
of etching and engraving from the famous Central School of Arts and Crafts of
London. After returning from England there was a change in the direction of his work
and there was also change in media as he started metal engravings. The picture Towing
Rope (1958) can be cited as an example. The three pictures done in 1964, Fishing Net,
Angry Fish and Blue Water are executed in the etching aquatint medium. A difference
is perceivable in these pictures. Through the deep bite of acid he projected the
intensity of feeling of the line. In the line-based, colorful abstract pictures he has
applied his craftsmanship skills as well as creating a novel aesthetic beauty. He later
created quite a number of prints through the deep etch process. Sound of Water in 1985
also has special characteristics. In the end we can say that from the very beginning of
his artistic life to the present he has experimented in the various media of printmaking
and has dedicated himself to the development of this medium (pl. 3.1).
Habibur Rahman was born in 1912. He completed his education in fine arts in 1936
from the Kolkata Government School of Art. In 1937 he joined as a teacher at the same
school. In 1947 after the partition of the country he came to East Pakistan. In 1948 he
joined the Government Institute of Art established in Dhaka as a teacher of woodcut.
Not much is known about his life as an artist. Proof of his participation is found in an
exhibition featuring works of 16 teachers held in 1956 of the then East Pakistan
College of Arts and Crafts. In the catalogue published on the occasion of the exhibition
two of his woodcuts were printed. The names of the two pictures are Evening Meal and
Pussy (fig.3.7). Both of these are pictures of animals and done in the realistic method.
Mohammad Kibria is well known as an artist devoted to the printmaking medium. He
obtained his degree in Fine Arts in 1950 from the Calcutta Government College of Art and

180 ART AND CRAFTS


Craft after which he came to Dhaka. He taught for some time
at the Nawabpur School before he joined the Art Institute in
1952. Mohammad Kibria is primarily an artist in the oil color
medium. In 1959 he went to Japan and received higher training
in printmaking. This made him especially eager to work in this
medium. He has worked in every medium of printmaking, such
as etching, drypoint, lithographs and so on. In the lithography
medium he was influenced by transparent watercolors and
created a colorful world of lines and colors, thus also in etching
aquatint he has added a different dimension by using soft
textures. Sometimes it becomes very difficult to differentiate
his lithography and etching aquatints. By etching we generally
mean a line dominated elegant medium, but Kibria’s etching
aquatints are quite different, rather they are much softer, like
his oil paintings (fig.3.8).
Engaging in various kinds of experimentation in different
media of printmaking he has formed the base of modern
printmaking in Bangladesh. After returning from Japan in
fig. 3.7 Habibur 1962 he joined the Printmaking Department of the Art Institute. Mohammad Kibria is
Rahman, Pussy, as popular as a teacher is he is acclaimed as an artist. Basically he is known as a pioneer
woodcut of the abstract trend of the country. With the use of colors, lines and textures he projects
a kind of idealistic tendency in his work which goes beyond the visible world. He is
fig. 3.8 Mohammad considered to be the most successful artist of the abstract trend. In the print medium also
Kibria, Print VIII, he has used many uncommon methods and different experiments and has presented a
etching, 1980 difference through the use of colors and lines. He has also received international
recognition in the print medium. In 1959 he received an award in the National
Exhibition of Japan. His notable series is Memories (1981).
Another artist who must be mentioned is Abdur Razzaque, a student of the second
batch of the Institute of Fine Art who later joined as a teacher. In 1957 he obtained a
post-graduate degree from the Iowa University
of USA in Printmaking. He was a student of
the world famous printmaker Mauricio
Lasansky and received lessons from him on
etching, drypoint and lithography. Although
later he became better known as a sculptor, he
has also left evidence of excellence in the
medium of printmaking. His noteworthy works
are Self-portrait (1957), Composition (1973)
both done in the medium of lithography.
The artists of the generation after Safiuddin
and Kibria who have played a leading role in
the growth of printmaking in this country are
Rafiqun Nabi, Mahmudul Haque, Abul Barq

PRINTMAKING 181


Alvi, Kalidas Karmakar, Monirul Islam, Abdus Sattar, Rokeya Sultana, Shahid Kabir,
A.K.M. Alamgir, Ratan Majumdar and others.
A New Chapter in the Printmaking of Bangladesh
All the pioneering artists in the field of fine arts in Bangladesh have made some
contribution to the medium of printmaking. Examples in this medium can be found of
artists such as Zainul Abedin and Quamrul Hassan. Zainul has made prints of famine
pictures. Quamrul Hassan has also executed numerous art works in the print medium.
He created quite a few excellent woodcut prints in 1974. Taking various animals as his
subject he tried to depict a time of evil (fig.3.9). One of the pictures of his Three Women
series is also executed in woodcut. Through the fifties and sixties Safiuddin and Kibria
were the only two names associated with the field of printmaking. Actually, the print
medium follows the other media of the pictorial arts. In terms of subject, ideals and
tradition the current trend of a particular period is reflected in the printmaking of that
time. It may be mentioned here that the printmaking medium depends greatly on
technique and in some cases some accidental effects can be achieved which perhaps
gives a different significance to the medium. In the field of printmaking of Bangladesh
there was never a particularly powerful school or trend noticeable. In the sixties when
some artists of Bangladesh were practicing abstract art, Zainul and Quamrul were still
painting in their individual realistic way. Therefore, we can say that the kind of practice
that has existed in the print medium to date bears the stamp of this mixed influence of
the art world in general. Here it is noteworthy that in the fifties, sixties and seventies and
even later many artists have received higher training from abroad in printmaking.
Through the efforts of the artists returning from abroad a kind of efflorescence of
printmaking is to be noticed. New techniques, concepts and subjects were added to it.
This medium is dependent on instruments and technology. In this case the technological
advancement of developed countries has touched our field of printmaking.
In the national level of Bangladesh as well as in the international exhibitions a
considerable number of artists participate in the print medium. Moreover, individual
and group exhibitions of prints are quite common. In September 2003 an exhibition
named Prints of This Time was organized by Shilpangan Gallery in Dhaka. The works fig. 3.9 Quamrul
of thirty senior and junior artists of Bangladesh were included in the exhibition. In Hassan, Image `74,
August 2003 the Gallery Chitrak in Dhaka organized an exhibition named Four woodcut, 1974

182 ART AND CRAFTS


Pioneers of Printmaking. Safiuddin Ahmed, Mohammad Kibria, Rafiqun Nabi and
Monirul Islam participated in this show. The month of April 2004 was significant for
the printmaking of Bangladesh. Through the initiative of the Alliance Fançaise in
Dhaka an excellent exhibition of prints by thirty-two French artists was organized
among whom were included the world famous Picasso, Dali, Chagall, Miro and
others. In Paris an exchange exhibition was organized in June 2004, which featured
prints by nineteen distinguished artists of Bangladesh. This is undoubtedly a
remarkable event for the printmaking of Bangladesh.
A brief introduction to the artists
Rafiqun Nabi was born in 1943. He finished his education in Fine Art in 1964 from
the Drawing and Painting Department. He is famous for his skill in watercolors. He
was in Greece from 1973 to 1976 for higher education and stayed in Athens; during
this period he received higher training in woodcut from the famous Greek artist
Gramatopoulos. Returning to Bangladesh his accomplishment in woodcut prints was
received with general admiration. His woodcut is characterized by the domination of
colors, or the use of bright colors. Using a number of blocks and printing one over the
other he creates numerous pictorial planes. Monochrome woodcut prints were in
circulation in our country for a long time, the prints of Rafiqun Nabi introduced for
the first time this special kind of colorful woodcuts. The nature, people and fauna of
Bangladesh are the subjects of his pictures. A unique exhibition exclusively of
woodcut prints was held in Dhaka in 1981 which was acclaimed by learned circles. In
1980 the picture Summer’s Dove received an award in Inter Graphiks in Berlin. His
noteworthy woodcut prints are – Poet (1980), The Blue Bait (1983), Empty Cage
(1983) etc. He is at present a Professor of the Institute of Fine Art (pl.3.3).
Abdus Sattar revealed himself as a printmaker in the seventies. He studied printmaking
from 1973-1975 in Kala Bhavana of Visva Bharati where his teacher was the
distinguished artist Somnath Hore. In Santiniketan he mastered different techniques of
wood engraving, etching and lithography, and later played a special role in the
development of printmaking of Bangladesh. His works done in Santiniketan were
thematic and realistic. The characteristics of eastern art dominate these works; later he
started to engage in various kinds of experimentation in woodcuts. It should be
mentioned that he introduced the process of taking prints from burnt wood. Later he
executed works in both the realistic and abstract trends (pl.3.2). He was awarded the
grand prize for a woodcut print in the First Asian Biennale exhibition held in
Bangladesh in 1981. His noteworthy series are – Burnt Wood Series (1980, 1982) and
Relations (1985). At present he is a Professor of the Institute of Fine Art.
Monirul Islam has been living in Spain for a long time. He is primarily a successful
artist in the media of watercolor and oil color. Later working in printmaking he has
established himself as an important artist of this medium. In 1966 he obtained
Bachelor’s degree from the Dhaka Art College. It was at the same institution that his
working life started as a teacher. In 1969 he went to Spain on receiving a scholarship

PRINTMAKING 183


and settled there. As a printmaker he is successful and
popular for his etchings. His etching exhibitions and
workshops introduced to Bangladesh the trends in
modern printmaking. He popularized some new
etching techniques in our country like the application
of many colors on the same plate, application of acid
directly onto the plate in the aquatint method to create
the effect of watercolor etc. Monirul Islam’s etching
aquatint is very transparent and sometimes appears to
be like watercolor. He has created further variety by
using the collage print method. A collage print is one
where colored paper is pasted to the paper on which
the print will be taken. Introducing various techniques
like these he has added a new dimension to the
printmaking of this country. The subjects of his work
are people, nature, country, the liberation war, etc. In
his early work images are recognizable (in the
seventies), later abstraction takes over, but it is
inspired by reality (pl.3.19). In 1993 he directed a
workshop organized by the Bangladesh Shilpakala
Academy and in the same year the Shilpangan Gallery held an exhibition of his prints. fig. 3.10 Ratan
The young printmakers of Bangladesh were quite excited by his works. He has Majumdar, Kite,
participated in many solo and group exhibitions and is an honored artist in Spain with woodcut, 1982
many international prizes to his credit. His important series are – Homage to
Bangladesh (1971), Creation of a Nation (1971), and Flying Eye (1976).
Kalidas Karmakar is an important artist in the milieu of printmaking of Bangladesh. The
particular form of his line-based etching prints is well appreciated in the art world of
Bangladesh; his works are figurative but opposed to the conventional figurative trend,
his unique quality is the emergence of symbolic figures from a complexity of lines
(pl.3.4). In 1969 he obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the Calcutta College of Art and
Craft. In 1977 he went to Poland for higher education where he received special training
in printmaking. He has held many solo exhibitions at home and abroad. One of his
achievements is forming an organization named ‘Atelier’71’ (1985) for popularizing
printmaking. Besides providing training on printmaking this organization gives
enthusiastic artists working facilities. From 1982 to 1984 he received a fellowship of the
French Government and was trained in the studio of Heiter, the famous artist in the print
media. His series are – Image-46 (1974) and Image-47 (1974).
Mahmudul Haque joined as a teacher of the Art College in 1969 and joined the
Printmaking Department in 1984. He obtained higher degree in printmaking from
Japan in 1984. In 1968 he participated in the Printmaking Workshop of Michael Pons
de Leon at Karachi. Michael is a world famous American printmaker. Mahmudul
Haque’s noteworthy contribution is skill in the ancient mezzotint method. He has
created quite a few art works in this medium. His important series is Stone upon Stone

184 ART AND CRAFTS


(1984). He has participated in a number of group and solo exhibitions in the country
and abroad and has also received awards (pl.3.5).
Abul Barq Alvi joined the Institute of Fine Arts in 1972. He has been an involved and
dedicated teacher of the Printmaking department for a long time. He received training in
Japan and also participated in the workshop of Pons de Leon (Karachi 1968). He has
created quite a number of art works in the etching and aquatint media (pl.3.6). His work
entitled Black and Green (1983) deserves mention.
Rokeya Sultana completed her B.F.A. Degree in 1979 and obtained her M.F.A. Degree in
1987 from Visva Bharati, Santiniketan to join the Institute of Fine Art as a teacher. She
has worked in different media of printmaking and has also received prizes. She is
primarily most spontaneous in the etching medium. Her Madonna series done in 1992-93
is much appreciated (pl.3.7). It depicts the position of mothers and children of our country.
Her Madonna sometimes represents the hungry labor mother, sometimes the portrait of a
mother as a struggling bus passenger. She received an award in 1995 in the International
Graphic Art Biennale of Bhopal in India.
Among the other printmakers who have played a role in advancing printmaking of this
country; the names of Shahid Kabir, Ratan Majumdar, A.K.M. Alamgir and others
may be mentioned.
Shahid Kabir works with great facility in the etching medium. He creates images like
brush strokes using the sugar bite method in his etchings. This means, his etchings
achieve the feeling of spontaneousness that is possible with ease using brush on paper
(pl.3.8). His important works are Margarita (1994) and Highway (1992), both done in
the etching medium.
Ratan Majumdar made his appearance as a printmaker in the late seventies and his work
is mainly composed of black-and-white woodcut prints. His drawing based woodcut
prints in white lines on black background received acclaim from our art world at one stage
(fig. 3.10). Happiness of Nudity (1977) is one of his notable works. In 1982 he held a solo
exhibition of woodcut prints at the Shilpakala Academy.
A.K.M. Alamgir emerged as an important artist in the field of prints at the beginning of
the eighties. He was accomplished in the etching technique. He is mainly an artist of the
non-objective stream. From the technical point of view his experiments in taking prints
using parts of various big and small plates is noteworthy. In his etching aquatint of 1982
entitled Kitchen he has introduced the forms of utensils used in the kitchen. It is needless
to say that instead of the mimetic rendering of objects he has experimented more with the
variety of forms (pl.3.9). At present he resides in Canada.
The Young Generation of Printmakers
Today educational institutions of fine arts have been established in every big town of
Bangladesh. Each institution offers courses in printmaking according to the syllabus in
currency. Separate printmaking departments have also been set up in the universities. A
separate printmaking studio has developed in the Institute of Fine Art of the Dhaka
University. The Chittagong Art College had also established a printmaking studio. Among
the private universities the University of Development Alternative has a printmaking

PRINTMAKING 185


department. With the opportunity of fig. 3.11 Habibur
institutional education in printmaking the Rahman, Print, etching,
younger generation of students are 1986
becoming interested in it and are also
obtaining professional degrees in this fig. 3.12 Anisuzzaman,
medium (B.F.A./M.F.A.). Many young Complexity-18,
artists working in this medium are woodcut, 2002
participating in various exhibitions and
receiving national and international awards.
The works of the younger generation of
artists of Bangladesh show many different
tendencies. Non-objective, subject based,
realistic, all of these trends are present in
their work. They are facile in all the media
of printmaking, for example etching,
woodcut, drypoint, lithography; silk screen-
print has been added as a new medium.
Some artists living abroad had
print exhibitions in this country in
the nineties which inspired the young generation to seek new directions. Monirul
Islam (Spain), Shahid Kabir (Spain) and Wakilur Rahman (Germany) are
important in this field among the artists residing abroad.
Wakilur Rahman living in Germany himself belongs to the younger generation of
artists; his Chinese calligraphy and etching prints influenced by Zen art brought
novelty to the field of printmaking of Bangladesh (pl.3.10). Monirul Islam (New
York) was trained in the viscosity medium of printmaking from the renowned
artist Krishna Reddy in New York. He is an artist of the abstract expressionist
stream; his viscosity prints appealed to the art lovers of this country.
Rafi Haque influenced by Monirul Islam (Spain) began to execute figurative
etchings on a colorful ground. Later, however, some changes appeared in his
work; he used various photographic images and created prints of a different
flavor. Rafi Haque is a successful young printmaker and has received an award
in 2003 in the Paris Print Triennale (pl.3.11).
Mokhlesur Rahman, Muslim Mia (pl.3.13), Amirul Momanin Chowdhury
(pl.3.14), Selina Chowdhury (pl.3.15) and other artists are all devoted
practitioners in woodcut. Mokhlesur Rahman’s prints are very colorful; he
captures nature from the bird’s eye view in woodcuts, sometimes in realistic and
sometimes in abstract form (pl.3.12). In 2001 he was awarded the Grand Prize
in the Dhaka Asian Art Biennale.
Ahmed Nazir is an artist devoted to printmaking; he regularly experiments in
this medium (pl.3.21). His works are primarily non-objective. Laila Sharmeen
also deserves mention for her etching. The subjects of her etchings are nature

186 ART AND CRAFTS


and man. One of her important works is Fog. Anisuzzaman is another skilled woodcut
artist, he presents with great dexterity subjects related to urban architectural images in the
realistic way (fig.3.12).
Jasim Uddin and Abdus Salam have earned fame by creating large drypoint prints. The
work entitled Aids-1 by Jasim Uddin has been praised for the difference in its
presentation of the man woman relationship in a realistic style. Abdus Salam captures
rejected objects in drypoint with great skill (pl.3.16).
The other important young artists are Saidul Haque Juise (pl.3.17), Fareha Zeba,
Habibur Rahman (fig.3.11), Rashid Amin (pl.3.20), Prasanta Karmakar Buddha,
Sobhan Heera, Rahman, Neehar Singh, Sheikh Mohammad Rokonuzzaman,
Roosevelt D. Rozario, Khaled Mahmud (pl.3.18), Abdullah Al Mamun, Nagarbashi
Burman, Abul Hossain Dhali and others.

Translated by Kamaluddin Md. Kaiser, writer, Dhaka

Notes and References
1 WalterChamberlain, Manual of Woodcut Print Making and Related Techniques, (New York 1978), 11.
2 H.W. Janson, Anthony F. Janson, History of Art, (New York 1997), 524.
3 Loc.cit, Walter Chamberlain, 12.
4 Mohammad Siddique Khan, Bangla Mudran O Prakashanerr Gorar Katha, (Dhaka 1391 Bengali Year), 01.
5 AsokBhattacharya, Banglar Chitrakala, (Kolkata 1994), 66.
6 SukumarSen, Battalar Chhapa O Chhobi, (Kolkata 1984).
7 Ibid., 21.
8 Kamal Sarkar, ‘Bangla Boiyer Chhabi (1816-1916)’ in Dui Shataker Bangla Mudran O Prakashan,
Chittaranjan Bandopaddhyaya (ed.), (Calcutta 1981), 320.
9 Loc.cit.
10 Loc.cit, Asok Bhattacharya, 114.
11 Ibid., 189.
12 Anita Dube, ‘Graphic Art and Somnath Hore’ in E. Alkazi (ed.) Art Heritage 3 Season 1983-84, (New
Delhi 1984), 16.
13 Charles D’Oyly, Dhakar Prachin Nidarshan, (Dhaka 1991), 17.
14 Ibid., 19.
15 Darzi Abdul Wahab, Mymensingh Charitabhidhan, (Mymensingh 1989), 576.
16 Jatindramohan Roy, Dhakar Itihas, (Kolkata 1319 Bengali Year), 167.
17 G.W. Shaw, ‘Printing and Publishing in Dhaka 1849-1900’ in Sharif uddin Ahmed (ed.), Dhaka Past
Present Future, (Dhaka 1919), 111.
18 Ibid., 72.
19 Mohammad Jahangir, ‘Dhakar Sangbadpatra-Shilper Bikash’ in Iftikhar Ul-Awal (ed.), Oitihashik
Dhaka Mahanagari Bibartan O Bikash, (Dhaka 2003), 197.
20 Ibid., G. W. Shaw, 120.
21 Taken from the book compiled from the issues of the periodical published in 1320-1321 Bengali Year
(preserved in the Bangladesh National Museum Library).
22 Mizanur Rahman, “Shamukhi Shilpa Roopete Moji” in Silparup, Neelima Afreen (ed.), First Year, 2nd
Issue, April-June 2004, 27.
23 Aminul Islam, Bangladesher Shilpa Andoloner Panchash Bachhar, (Dhaka 2003), 32.
24 Ibid., 36.
25 Author’s interview of Safiuddin Ahmed.

PRINTMAKING 187















































pl. 3.1 (top left)
Safiuddin Ahmed, In
Memory of `71,
engraving, 1988
pl. 3.2 (top right)
Abdus Sattar, Flower-1,
woodcut, 1993

pl. 3.3 (bottom)
Rafiqun Nabi, Struggle,
woodcut, 2003

188 ART AND CRAFTS







































pl. 3.4 (top left)
Kalidas Karmakar,
Love-2, etching and
aquatint, 1984

pl. 3.5 (top right)
Mahmudul Haque,
Cross, etching

pl. 3.6 (bottom left)
Abul Barq Alvi, From
the Nature, etching and
aquatint, 1984
pl. 3.7 (bottom right)
Rokeya Sultana,
Madonna-2, etching,
1991

PRINTMAKING 189


pl. 3.8 (top) Shahid
Kabir, Margarita,
etching, 1999

pl. 3.9 (bottom left)
A.K.M. Alamgir, Form
and Space, etching and
aquatint, 1982

pl. 3.10 (bottom right)
Wakilur Rahman,
Words, etching, 1994

190 ART AND CRAFTS


pl. 3.11 (top left) Rafi
Haque, Lingering
Memories, etching and
monotype block, 2002
pl. 3.12 (top right)
Mokhlesur Rahman,
Valley, woodcut print
and plate, 2002

pl. 3.13 (lower left)
Md. Muslim Mia, Image
in Print, woodcut, 2006
pl. 3.14 (lower right)
Amirul Momanin
Chowdhury, Nuhash
and the Alien, woodcut,
2002

PRINTMAKING 191









































pl. 3.15 (top left) Selina
Chowdhury Mili,
Childhood, woodcut,
2003
pl. 3.16 (top right)
Abdus Salam, Rejection,
dry point, 2000

pl. 3.17 (bottom left)
Saidul Haque Juise, Self
Portrait, woodcut, 1982
pl. 3.18 (bottom right)
Khaled Mahmud,
Phulan Debi, etching
and aquatint, 2003

192 ART AND CRAFTS
























pl. 3.19 (top) Monirul Islam, Memory of Seventy One, color viscosity, 2003

pl. 3.20 (lower left) Rashid Amin, Inspired by Nature, etching, 1998

pl. 3.21 (lower right) Ahmed Nazir, In Memory of Seventy One, lithograph, 1990

4




GRAPHIC DESIGN

Shawon Akand

Graphic design is largely related to publicity and publication. It can be either the
publicity of a product or an organization, of a professional body or a commercial
enterprise, social welfare organization etc. Any information or message, disseminated
aesthetically among mass people for publicity with the help of visual language, falls
under the discipline of graphic design. Everything from television to newspaper and
magazine, from books to all kinds of publication, billboard, neon sign or signboard,
banner, festoon is related to graphic design. The invention of the print industry and its
subsequent development strengthened graphic design. A graphic designer can also
contribute greatly to the electronic media. Based on medium we can divide graphic
design in two categories. The first one is related to the publication or print industry
and the second depends on electronic or digital medium. But it does not mean that
graphic design did not exist before the invention of print industry or digital media. It fig. 4.1 Pala manuscript
was there in a different way. Let us now have a look at the early phase of graphic painting
design in Bangladesh.
Early Phase
In order to trace the roots of graphic design in the light
of publicity and publication of Bangladesh we have to
go back to the years before the birth of Christ. The
advocates of Buddhism and Jainism used to depict the
glory of their respective religions, praise of the
founders of their religions and used pictures for their
dissemination. In one sense, these are graphic designs.
Much later, we find the rural Patuas using drawings to
preach religious and moral teaching accompanied by
songs, which serve as important examples of painting
and graphic design if we consider their presentation,
design and decoration.
Even before the invention of the printing press (and
after that), the seals engraved with the national symbol
or the design of flags of different states are part of

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graphic design. As we can see, although areas of printing industry and digital media
are related to graphic design, it used to exist in Bangladesh just like any other
countries of the world from ancient times.
In this early phase, another splendid example of graphic design is puthi chitra
(manuscript painting), especially Pala manuscripts (fig. 4.1). It is believed to have
originated in the middle of eighth century BC, although the earliest example of a
manuscript is found from the latter half of tenth century BC. The paintings in the
1
Pala manuscript are not directly related to the story, rather it is assumed that these
paintings have been included in order to show devotion and to receive the blessings
of divine powers. The subject matter of these Pala manuscripts is of course Buddhism
and especially the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita. The Pala manuscripts are
precious as the earliest examples of books, in their arrangement of letters, graphic
quality and covers.
British Colonial Era: Origin and Evolution of Print Industry
It is believed in general that in Bangladesh graphic design started in the hands of the
East India Company in the latter half of the 18th century. This statement is accepted
from the point of view of the print industry.
The credit for discovering paper and the art of the printing industry goes to the
Chinese. The first printed book in the history of humankind, Diamond Sutra, a
Chinese translation of a Buddhist religious text, was published in 868 AD. The
name of the printer is Wang Chieh. The size of the book is amazing – 16 ft. long
and 1 ft. wide. Similar to the elongated pata painting of our country, this book
consisted of six pages, 2 ft. long and 1 ft. wide each. The first page features a
wonderful woodcut print. 2
The modern printing press was born much later, around 15th century in Germany,
much to the credit of Johannes Gutenberg. After the publication of Gutenberg’s Bible,
the use of the printing press spread rapidly throughout Europe. The printing press
arrived in India through the Portuguese in Goa in 1556, about one hundred years after
the publication of the Bible of Gutenberg. It is surprisingly true that it took about
222(?) years for the printing press to arrive in Bangladesh from Goa. There is
controversy about the first printing press of undivided Bengal. According to many, the
press in Hooghly which published Nathaniel Brassey Halhed’s A Grammar of the
Bengal Language (1778) is the first printing press in undivided Bengal. The name and
founding year of this press is unknown except that it was popularly known as Mr.
Andrew’s press. 3
However, many believe that the first printing press was established in 1777 by James
Augustus Hickey (1739?-1802) in Kolkata, not Hooghly. The supporters of this claim
mention a calendar, Calendar for the Year of Our Lord MDCCLXXVIII published in
1778 from Kolkata. According to them, since the calendar is for the year 1778 it must
have been printed before that year. In that case, Hickey’s Press is the first printing
press in Bengal. In the former East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh), the printing
4

GRAPHIC DESIGN 195


press came much later, in 1847, not in Dhaka, but in Rangpur. The press was
established in Dhaka in 1849. 5
For the benefit of discussion, graphic design, related to printing, can be divided into a
number of different branches. For example,
1. Newspaper, magazine and advertisement
2. Poster
3. Book cover design and illustration
4. Typography
5. Logo/monogram
6. Packaging
7. Painted banner, hoarding, neon sign etc.
8. Booklet, leaflet
9. Different types of calendar
10. Hanging mobile/bunting
11. Cartoon, caricature, comic strip, etc.
12. Stamp
13. Currency
Almost all the items listed above originated during British rule in this country.
Foreign and local artists contributed to the gradual development of graphic design in
this era (1757-1947). Among local artists there were artists both formally trained and
self taught.
After the partition of 1947, the Government Institute of Art (1948) was established
in Dhaka, which is now the Institute of Fine Art affiliated to the University of
Dhaka. A good number of artists trained in this Institute have made significant fig. 4.2 Bat-tala print
contributions to the graphic design of Bangladesh. It needs to
be mentioned that many self-taught artists who migrated
from Kolkata and other parts of India after the partition,
mostly non-Bengalis, deserve their share of credit. After the
Liberation War of 1971, various dimensions were added to
the history of graphic design in Bangladesh. Throughout the
years, innovation and development in technology made
graphic design attractive and multi dimensional. Let us now
discuss the aspects related to printing. However, before that,
a few words should be said about the steps to the evolution
and development of print technology.
The early phase of the print industry can be called the era of
wood and metal engraving. By metal engraving, here we mean
engraving on copper plate. Both these methods were used since
the inception of the printing industry in greater Bengal in the
latter half of the 18th century (1777/1778). No other method,
other than these two could be used for illustration of books or

196 ART AND CRAFTS


periodicals. The oldest example of an engraved print within the geographic boundary of
undivided Bengal can be found in the first volume of Asiatic Researches (1788)
published by Asiatic Society. It was used in Bengali books much later, in the second
6
decade of the 19th century (1816). Six years later, in 1822, lithograph was introduced
7
in Kolkata. The extensive use of this method in the print industry of Bengal started in
the middle of the 19th century, in the fifties (fig. 4.2). The wood engraving method was
8
very popular at that time although by the19th century the trend of copper plate
engraving was abolished. Wood engraving continued to be used for quite some time
more (fig.4.3). It has been known that in Kolkata this method was used for book
illustration until about the third decade of the 20th century. In Bangladesh, it was in use
9
since the beginning of the print industry (1849) until the 70s and 80s of the 20th century.
Until today, wood engraving is used for some printing in small towns. The exact date of
the beginning of its practice in Bangladesh could not be definitely identified. After
partition, some cinema posters and other works were done in lithograph. 10
The quality of work was not always up to the mark in wooden block, copper plate or
lithograph as these methods had some limitations. In order to get better prints,
innovative media like zinc halftone block, photo litho and photogravure method were
invented. The credit for inventing halftone or process block goes to a Bengali,
Upendrakishore Raychaudhuri at the end of the19th century. At the beginning of the
20th century (1903), halftone or process blocks were already being made and used in
Kolkata. In Bangladesh there was no such institution, therefore, at the beginning of the
Pakistani regime, blocks had to be imported from Kolkata. The first organization for
making process block in Bangladesh was Eastern Process, established at the end of
the1950s. Before the invention of offset press at the end of the 70s (even later in the
90s), printing was done in letterpress almost everywhere in Bangladesh and usually
line and halftone blocks were used. The most widely used printing method today is the
photo litho, which we generally call offset printing. Posters, calendars, different kinds
of books, cartoons, cards etc. are mostly printed in this method these days. In the
photogravure method prints can also be taken on aluminum foil, cellophane paper etc.
This method is thus very suitable for the packaging industry and popular for printing
fig. 4.3 Bat-tala wood different types of wrapping. However, the extensive use of the offset press in the
engraving 1970s, especially in the 80s and the availability of computer technology in the 90s
brought major changes in the graphic
design of Bangladesh. To the new
generation, wood engraving, lithograph
or process blocks are just memories from
the past.
It goes without saying that the
technological change in the printing
industry had significant effect on all areas
of graphic design related to printing. Let
us now enter into our major discussion.

GRAPHIC DESIGN 197


A. Graphic Design related to the Printing Industry
1. Advertisement in newspapers and periodicals
The first newspaper published from Kolkata was a weekly called Bengal Gazette or
Calcutta General Advertiser, published in 1780. James Augustus Hickey was the
initiator. The first Bengali monthly Dikdarshan and weekly Samachar Darpan were
11
published in 1818, both from Serampore Mission Press. From James Long’s writing
we get to know that by 1854 the number of Bengali periodicals stood at 19 with a
circulation of 8100 (fig. 4.4). Advertisements published in these newspapers from
12
Kolkata between the latter half of the 18th century and throughout the 19th century
were mostly addresses of shops, the name-date-venue of festivals or advertisement of
different products. The Bengali type was then at its primary stage. Most of the
advertisements had some information and very little scope for making them attractive.
However, there had been attempts to make them eye-catching by making a contrast of
large and small fonts (fig. 4.5).
Throughout the 19th century and the second decade of the 20th century,
advertisements published in the newspapers mostly reflected western lifestyle and
culture, for example- advertisement of cars, ready-made garments for men and women
etc. Sometimes there were personal advertisements of painters from Europe,
advertisement of theatres, cinemas etc. along with a few other products. The visual
language of advertisement gradually developed alongside the improvement of printing
technology (fig. 4.6).
Until about 1947, we have seen, from press layout, typography to illustration everything
had to be done by the artist’s own hands. Photography was not greatly in use (fig. 4.7).
We can mention here Annada Munshi’s advertisement on railway transportation ‘Lord
Gourango Travels’ or the advertisement series of Indian Tea Board with Satyajit Ray’s fig. 4.4 Front page of
13
concept, illustrated by Makhan Datta Gupta published daily. Later, Ronen Ayen Datta’s Hitakari, 1890,
14
advertisement on Jaba Kusum Oil of Bengal Chemicals began a new era of illustration published from Kushtia
in this sector. Among celebrated persons in advertisement, we can name Jatindra
15
Kumar Sen (1882-1966), Purnachandra Ghosh (1885-1949), Pareshchandra
Majumdar (1895-1965), Binoykrishna Bose (1894-1959), Haripada Roy
(1895-1971), Jotishchandra Dasgupta (1900-1944), Jyotishchandra Sinha
(1904-1956), Surya Ray (1913-1979), and Siddheswar Mitra (1904-?). In
this connection we can mention the advertisement agency D.J. Kimmer &
Company. Hutton Williams was the director of this company in the
beginning but later it was taken over by Dilip Kumar Gupta who was
popularly known as D.K.
The two countries created after the partition of 1947 were India and
Pakistan. Pakistan had two parts –East Pakistan and West Pakistan. Most of
the factories and industries were in West Pakistan. East Pakistan was more
of a market for products produced in West Pakistan. Therefore, most of the
advertising agencies were in West Pakistan especially in Karachi. However,