Saju, a devoted art collector and promoter

Left-Right: Saju Arts and Crafts at Gulshan DIT Market.. Saju (right) with painter Abu Taher.

Ramiz Ahmed Chowdhury, better known in the Dhaka art scene as Saju, is devoted to the cause of the arts. He has made significant contribution as a patron of art and artists.
Saju was born in 1944 in Ramu, Cox's Bazar. He was only 11 when he lost his mother. In 1959, he moved to Dhaka. After leaving Cox's Bazar, he did not maintain any contact with his family. He wanted to be free of attachments. At one point, he became friends with Shamsul Islam Nizami, one of the veteran painters of Bangladesh. At that time, Nizami was a teacher of the Institute of Fine Arts (now Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka).
Nizami introduced Saju to all the notable painters in the contemporary art scenario -- from master painters like Zainul Abedin, Quamrul Hassan, SM Sultan to Anwarul Haque, Abdur Razzaque, Kazi Abdul Baset, Murtaja Baseer, Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, Hashem Khan, Rafiqun Nabi, Syed Abdullah Khalid, Ranjit Das. Over the years, Saju has grown close to many of them.
Says Saju, “I am grateful to Nizami. The artist was very helpful. He was recognised for his abstract works. Without his help, I could perhaps never get close to the noted artists of the country. At that time, sales of artworks were carried out through direct contact between the artist and buyer. I got involved in the process and worked as a link between the artists and interested buyers.
“Over the years, I have been introduced to many art connoisseurs and collectors; of them are entrepreneurs, ambassadors and diplomats etc. They are the main buyers of my gallery.”
Saju began his own business in 1974. He rented a part of a shop on the first floor of Gulshan DIT Market. Thus Saju Arts and Crafts came into being. In 1977 Saju bought a shop at the same market and then three more in 1981. Right from the beginning, Saju had an innovative approach to selling artworks. He would put some works on display at his shop. These caught attention of the people who would come to the market to get pictures framed.
About Saju, Aminul Islam, one of the senior-most Bangladeshi painters, said, “Saju Art Gallery started back in the day. It was just a few years after the Liberation War when I first met Ramiz Ahmed Chowdhury Saju at the College of Arts and Crafts (now Faculty of Fine Arts). I heard about him in Rawalpindi (Pakistan) from my friend Syed Jahangir.”
Noted painter Abu Taher said, “Saju has taken up a commendable and encouraging initiative to recognise talented young artists of the country. Saju can rightly claim his place in our art history. His footprint in the history of art movement in independent Bangladesh is indelible.”
Noted oriental painter Abdus Sattar said, “Saju Art Gallery offers a whole variety of frames which often add to the appeal of the works. It is not an easy thing to do. Saju knows how to draw potential art buyers too.”
Veteran painter Biren Shome said, “Saju is very congenial and simple in nature. He has promoted many artists of our country. He is well connected; for this reason he can easily sell the artworks.”