The Art Heritage of Bangladesh

(From right) The author seen with Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty (High Commissioner of India), former Chief Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman and Professor Anisuzzaman at the book launchPhoto: STAR

Speakers at the launching programme of art historian Dr. Enamul Haque's comprehensive publication on Bengal art, The Art Heritage of Bangladesh, on last Sunday (January 6) said it is the first book of its kind, dealing with a huge corpus of material related to the sculpture, architecture, painting, folk arts and more of Bangladesh that will appeal to the art historians, scholars and lay readers alike.
It is an ambitious work and a commendable attempt to sweep across a vast vista of over two and a half millennia of history and development of creative art heritage of this land, they said.
Highly praising the book, the speakers said books such as this are rarely produced in Bangladesh; only few endeavours have been made in somewhat less ambitious scale in the past.
High Commission of India, Dhaka organised the book launch at the BRAC Centre Inn Auditorium in the city.
“This incomparable work not only has pressed into it an extensive range of our over two thousand years of artistic legacy but also covers the art treasures right up to our living generation,” observed Dr. Nazimuddin Ahmed, former director, Directorate of Archaeology, in his review of the book.
Responding to Dr. Nazimuddin Ahmed's comments on the book, Dr. Enamul Haque said, “Such encouragement from a senior-most archaeologist is certainly appreciated. As done on my previous works, he mentioned some of the mistakes and I rectified them immediately.”
Dr. Haque also expressed his gratitude to the High Commission of India for sponsoring the publication. He acknowledged the various kinds of cooperation received from different sources.
It was initially planned for lay readers on the broad spectrum of the art heritage of Bangladesh. However, after much contemplation, he modified its scope to make the book useful to the scholars and it tried to record the cultural history of Bangladesh with an emphasis on art heritage, representing mainly the visual arts, informed the author.
With regret he noted, “We feel very proud in our heritage, but we have not done enough to project it to the world. None of the universities in Bangladesh teach Bengal art as an independent subject as of now.”
Appreciating the “meticulous and elaborate effort” special guest Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, High Commissioner of India said, “In this age of powerful upsurge of globalisation and materialism, the young generation of South Asia need to be educated and informed in our rich cultural heritage.”
Chief Guest, former Chief Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman called this book “an end product of a rigorous research.”
Chairperson at the programme Professor Anisuzzaman reflected on the “scholarly efforts and labour involved in such a monumental book.”
The voluminous book comprises 408 pages of texts (including Bibliography and Index) and 536 plates, mostly in colour. The book is dedicated to more than a hundred scholars of the past and the present who have contributed to the study of Bengal art.