The New Nation - Internet Edition

Malay Nandi, from Narail

Sultan Festival arranged jointly by Sultan Janmo Joynti Udjapan Parsad and Bangla Link. marking 84th birth anniversary of world famous painter S.M. Sultan concluded Wednesday. The festival began on the 9th August and continued for five days. The festival includes placing floral wreaths on the majar of Sultan, art camp, art exhibition and discussion meeting on his life and work. A colorful rally also paraded Narail town on the birthday of the artist. The program of the concluding day started with an art competition participated by over one hundred school going children and an art exhibition participated by different artists of the locality held afterwards. Both these programs were inaugurated by famous littérateur Hasnat Abdul Hye.

Later, in the concluding session a discussion meeting on Sultan's life and works and prize giving ceremony were held. Hasnat Abdul Hye addressed the meeting and distributed prizes among the winners of the art competition as the chief guest and Professor Munshi Hafizur Rahman presided over the session. Dr. Tarafder Rabiul Islam, former advisor of ILO And FAO, Babul Haque, Regional Commercial Head of Bangla Link and Subir Chowdhury, director of Bengal Foundation were present in the occasion as special guests.

The great artist S.M Sultan was born on 10 August, 1923 at Masimdia village adjacent to Narail town. His father Meser Ali was a poor mason. He studied at the Government Institute of Art in Kolkata. In the early forties, he made the world of fine arts struck through his paintings. His paintings were extraordinary because of the gigantic figures of men and women who belong to working class and it symbolizes the potential energy of our peasants who are really lean and thin and poverty stricken now.

He is the first Asian whose paintings were exhibited along with the greatest artists of all time like Pablo Picaso, Dalee, Klee and many other world famous Artists of his time. There was no influence of any contemporary artist on him; he had his own style. He was honored by different state awards like Ekushey Padak in 1982 and Swadhinata Padak in 1993. He established Kurigram fine arts school in 1969, Charupeeth, an art school in Jessore and Shishu Swargo at Narail. Different socio- cultural organizations Of Narail and Jessore observed the day with great enthusiasm and festivity.

Besides, a one day program arranged by Sultan Foundation on the birthday of S.M Sultan concluded. This program featured boat race on the river Citra, art competition and discussion meeting on life and works of the artist. Both the programs were attended by Divisional Commissioner M Yunusur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Narail Adul Kayum Sarder and many other famous artists and art critics of the country.