DHAKA: Hundreds of people from all walks of life thronged Central Shaheed Minar Monday to pay their last tribute to ‘Swadhinata Padak’ award winning artist Qayyum Chowdhury.
As his body was brought at the Shaheed Minar on an ambulance at 11:45am, people lined up to pay tribute with flowers.
Floral wreaths were placed to the Shaheed Minar on behalf of President and Premier of the country. Moreover, the artists, teachers, students, activists of several cultural organizations were also present there.
Quoting the family sources, Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor said that the Namaz-e-Janaza of Qayyum Chowdhury will be held at Dhaka University Central Jam-e-Mosque after Zohr prayers and will be laid to rest at Azimpur Graveyard beside his grandfather’s grave.
Qayyum Chowdhury’s body was taken to his former workplace at Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University at 10:00am.
The veteran artist suddenly fell sick during his speech on the fourth-day of Bengal Foundation organized classical music festival at Bangladesh Army Stadium around 8:40pm.
Then, he was whisked off to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) immediately where on-duty doctor pronounced him dead around 9:00pm.
His body was then kept at Square Hospital mortuary.
However, President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Opposition leader Rowshan Ershad, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and other cultural organizations expressed their deep shocks in separate messages at the death of the artist.
The eminent artist Qayyum Chowdhury was born March 9 in 1932. He is famous for his cover designs - but his significance as a painter is immeasurable. During the last fifty years, he has adorned this field with abundance and diversity. A passion for literature, music and film made his quests of life optimistic, variety seeking and an abundant source of good taste.
He joined Dhaka Government Art Institute as a teacher in 1957. He got married in 1960 and in the same year, he left the teaching profession and joined Design Center as a designer. On 20 October 1965, he again joined Government Art College of Dhaka (changed name of the Art Institute) as a lecturer in the commercial art department. He was promoted to the position of assistant professor on 7 February 1970, to associate professor on 16 January 1986 and finally to professor on 13 February 1991. He retired from this organization (subsequently named the Institute of Fine Art under the University of Dhaka) in 1994. However, he continued teaching in the Institute until 2002 (first by extension of his service and later as a supernumerary teacher).
As a worthy predecessor of Zainul Abedin and Qamrul Hassan Qayyum Chowdhury also possessed patriotism, put in endless efforts in his work to express the beauty and essence of the country and was committed to the folk tradition.
Whithin a few years after passing from the Art Institute, he received the national award for his contribution to art (1961–62). In the same year, he received the first prize in the All Pakistan Art Exhibition held in Lahore for his painting titled Bottom. Four years lagter, he received the award of the Royal Court inn Teheran Biennale (1966). Shilpakala Academy Award (1977), Ekushey Award (1986),6th Bangabandhu Award (1994), Leipzig Book Fair Prize for Book Illustration (1983), Gold medal for contribution in book design, National Book Center, Dhaka (1975), 1st Prize, Best Book Cover Design, National Book Center (1988, 1982, 1981, 1979, 1978, 1975, 1970, 1966, 1964 and 1963), 1st Prize Railway Time-Table Cover Design (1995 & 1960).
BDST: 1348 HRS, DEC 01, 2014
**Qayyum Chowdhury’s burial at Azimpur graveyard Monday
