The biennial competition is organised by Gandaria Kishalaya Kachi-Kanchar Mela. This is the sixth episode of the competition. Grameenphone has been sponsoring this competition since 2003.

Shafiur Rahman Dulu, director of Gandaria Kachi-Kanchar Mela, inaugurated the competition at a press conference.

The competition is open to children aged between 3 to16. Entries should be sent to Gandaria Kishalaya Kachi-Kanchar Mela, 15 Dennoath Sen Road, Gandaria, Dhaka-1204 on or before September 30.

This year 84 participants will receive special awards from Grameenphone while four will be awarded gold medals.

The competition is divided into four categories according to age level, 3 to 6 year, above 6 years to 9, above 9 years to 12 and above 12 years to 16.

Subject matter and medium of the painting would remain open.

The prize giving ceremony, which will be followed by a three-day exhibition of the paintings, will be held at Bangladesh National Museum in the first week of December.

The paintings will also be put on display at Kachi-Kanchar Mela at Gandaria from March 26 to 31, 2008.

More than 4000 children including 1860 foreign participants from 30 countries participated in the last episode of the competition held in 2005.

Stein Naevdal, chief marketing officer of GP, Syed Yamin Bakht, head of information, GP and Prof Abu Sayeed, chairman of the organising committee, Gandaria Kochi-Kanchar Mela, were also present at the press conference.