Ranjit Das looks back at the Liberation War

Ranjit Das is considered to be one of the most influential contemporary painters. As an artist he is easily recognised and can interpret diverse dimensions with his outstanding style and techniques. The artist shared his experience, dreams and views on the Liberation War.
“During the Liberation War, I was a student of Dhaka Art Institute (presently the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka). At that time, we started to learn academic drawing. As tension gradually mounted in the city, we were very alarmed. I still remember Bangabandhu's March 7, 1971 speech. During that time, we lived in Shakaribazar of old Dhaka. After the massacre of March 25, my family moved to Kaliganj. That was a brutal time.
“After 41 years of independence, I feel that we could not properly achieve our dreams and hopes. We are still deprived of our fundamental rights. We fought for this country with dreams and hopes. As a politically aware person, I feel that our politicians are not committed to the country and its people, and are negligent about the fate of the common people.
“I am optimistic as an artist, and I think that the Asian Art Biennale is a significant event in our country. The exposition has opened doors to the international art scene for Bangladeshi art enthusiasts. All these have become possible today because we are a sovereign nation.”