The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Narail

The 84th birth anniversary of renowned artist SM Sultan will be observed today at his village home in the district.

Masumdia village, under Narail Municipality, where he was born on 10 August 1924 and built his "Shishu Swarga" or 'heaven for children' will wear a festive look with various organisations chalking out programmes to celebrate the birthday of the Bengal genius.

The SM Sultan National Birth Celebration Committee 2008 has chalked out day-long elaborate programmes to mark the birthday of the celebrated painter, who devoted more than half of his lifetime to painting in solitude.

Various socio-cultural organisations will also observe the birth anniversary in Sultan's village and at the district town.

The day-long programmes include placing of floral wreaths, offering prayers at his grave, Quran Khwani and Milad Mahfil at 8-00 AM, art competition in 'Shishu Swarga' at 10.00 a.m., colourful procession from Dakbangalo to Sultan Memorial Complex, discussion cum prize giving ceremony in Shishu Swarga auditorium at 12.00 noon and boat race on the river Chittra from Deputy Commissioner's Ghat to Chitra Bridge.

Khulna Divisional Commissioner Mohamad Yunusur Rahman will inaugurate the programme as chief guest.

President of SM Sultan Foundation and Deputy Commissioner of the district Mohammad Abdul Quyyum Sarder told BSS that all preparations have been completed to observe the day.

On this day in 1924, Sultan nicknamed Lal Mia, was born in an ordinary family of Masumdia village in Narail.

Sultan hit the headlines in the art world much before he was known as a painter to the people of his own homeland. His paintings were exhibited in Simla of India in 1946, Lahore and Karachi of Pakistan in 1948-49, New York, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, London and Michigan University in 1959, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in 1976 and German Cultural Centre, Dhaka in 1986. His artworks were jointly shown in Victoria Embankment, London in 1953 and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in 1993 with nine famous artists' artworks.

He joined the International Conference of Painters in America in 1950 as the representative of the Pakistan Government. He also spent some years in Kolkata, studying and paintings.

Later he sank into obscurity and settled in Narail in 1953, devoting his time to painting nature at his village home until his death on October 10, 1994.

The eccentric genius who chose a solitary life, deeply enjoyed his relationship with nature and the people of this country.

They were the prime sources of his inspiration and the spur to his creativity.

Leading a very simple life far away from the madding crowd at his village home, the selfless painter spent most of his life completely engrossed in paint and brush.

Sultan's very simple but highly philosophical art depicting nature and the might and dignity of Bangladeshi people has become the prime source of inspiration for the new generation of painters.