The towering portrait of Bangabandhu installed

Embracing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Non-Aligned Summit in Algiers in 1973, former Cuban president late Fidel Castro remarked: “I have not seen the Himalayas. But I have seen Sheikh Mujib. In personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas. I have thus had the experience of witnessing the Himalayas.”

The name of Bangbandhu is synonymous with Bangladesh. The towering personality's lifelong struggle to achieve an independent Bangladesh and his supreme sacrifice for the country's sake is, in a word, immortal.

To observe the 43rd National Mourning Day and to pay homage to the Father of the Nation, artists of Bangladesh Charushilpi Sangsad (BCS) created a portrait (43ftX32ft) of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This has been the highest and largest hand-made portrait of him so far. The portrait was installed at Milan Chattar, TSC Intersection, Dhaka University (DU) on the eve of the 43rd National Mourning Day.

Multi-award winning artist Harun Ar Rashid Tutul, who is also an Assistant Professor at the Department of Graphic Design, DU, improvised and magnified the original portrait of Bangabandhu created by noted artist Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash, Professor and Chairperson at Faculty of Fine Arts, UODA. Around 150 artists of BCS portrayed the portrait on 63 canvases. Harun Ar Rashid Tutul came up with the concept for the portrait.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed graced the occasion. Renowned artist Professor Jamal Ahmed, President of BCS, was the chair. DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Akhtaruzzaman, internationally recognised artist Shahabuddin Ahmed, renowned architect, poet and critic Rabiul Husain, prominent artist Hashem Khan and secretary of BCS Kamal Pasha Chowdhury were present.

“When I was sitting here and looking at the portrait, it seemed like I was sitting in front of Bangabandhu just as I did in 1971,” said Tofail Ahmed. The display will continue till August 31.