The exhibits for the occasion consisted of sculptures on neat wooden rectangular pedestals, with Alak Roy's terracotta and wooden works on the floor. The gallery was decorated with feathery potted palms, and posters of the history of sculpture in Bangladesh, including photographs of the works of Novera Ahmed, Anwar Jehan, Shamim Shikdar and Hamiduzzaman Khan, among others. Subtle and significant lighting was in evidence at the exposition.

Rafiqun Nabi said on the occasion that sculpture is an art form admired by anyone with some aesthetic sense. "There was a time when it was nearly nonexistent in Dhaka, but today, after 50 years, it has made a niche for itself despite religious and social objections. It was Abdur Razzak, under the guidance of Zainul Abedin, who opened the Sculpture Section in the Art College, Dhaka, and gradually took it to a remarkable level."

Rafiqun Nabi said that our sculpture does not have adequate realistic compositions but one is aware of the reason behind this. However, he asserted, the galleries are modern and forward looking. He said that sculpture today is experimenting in various media, such as cement, fibre glass, wood and aluminum and has a variety of styles to offer. Explaining this phenomenon, he said that sculpture is being gradually included in the decoration of both the exterior and interior of our buildings and public places. He added that unless we get the necessary patrons for sculpture, we will not be at par with the developed world.

Aminul Islam said that sculpture originated in our part of the world with children playing with clay and adults making gods and goddesses out of terracotta and wood. He compared the time when Novera Ahmed had to leave the country in the '50s, due to lack of patronage, with the situation today, when Hamiduzzaman Khan and Abdullah Khalid won considerable acclaim.

Abdur Razzak's works included a larger- than- life bronze female head, with its features done carefully, along with a geometrical piece in which three semicircular forms had been encircled by a metal disc and base. Abdullah Khalid's Wounded boshundhara brought in a female form with flowing tresses and bared bosom in terracotta. Alak Roy's Steps towards and ecology of mind in burnt-sienna and black terracotta had the face of a Negroid person, with meeting eyebrows and hollows for eyes. Placed on the floor, it contained a protruding spine with detailed work in it, in dots, lines and semi-circles.

Hamiduzzaman Khan's Form and space was an overwhelming three-dimensional creation, with three startling orange sheets. Ivy Zaman's Bird with a fish, in brass, had an eagle with outspread wings which appeared like arches of doors. The body and wings along with the head had geometrical simplicity. Towfiqur Rahman's Fertility presented a moving representation of an expecting mother, with spindly limbs, done in strips of metal, nailed together in a bold and flamboyant manner. Lala Rukh Salim's Conversation with its depiction of a couple was another mind-whirling entry.

The exhibit was a thought-provoking and unusual exercise in showcasing half a century of sculpture.