Eminent artist Qayyum Chowdhury passed away after he fell sick at a musical event in the city on Sunday night. He was 80.
The artist collapsed on the stage while addressing the Bengal Classical Music Festival at the Army Stadium around 8:40pm.
He was rushed to the Combined Military Hospital where doctors declared him dead, hospital sources said.
According to the doctors, the artist died of cardiac arrest.President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia expressed deep shock at the death of the veteran artist.
In their separate messages, they prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.
After the pioneering artists like Zainul Abedin, Quamrul Hasan Syed Mohammad Sultan and Safiuddin Ahmed, Qayyum Chowdhury’s name is the most popular among the country’s first generation artists.
Artist Quamrul Hasan also died on stage on February 2, 1988 after suffering a massive heart attack on completion of a caricature on then autocratic ruler HM Ershad titled ‘Desh Aaj Biswa Behayar Khappore’ at a programme organised by Jatiya Kabita Parishad at Dhaka University.
It was Qayyum Chowdhury’s unswerving creative efforts that bought maturity to the applied art in Bangladesh.
Born on March 9, 1934 in Feni, he was famous for his cover designs.
Qayyum Chowdhury joined Dhaka Government Art Institute as a teacher in 1957, but he left the teaching profession and joined Design Centre as a designer in 1960. In 1961, he left Design Centre and joined the ‘Observer’ group of publications as the chief artist.
On 20 October, 1965, he again joined Government Art College of Dhaka as a lecturer in the commercial art department. He retired from this organisation (now Institute of Fine Art under Dhaka University) in 1994 as a professor. He, however, continued teaching in the institute until 2002.
The eminent painter received many awards during his lifetime. These include Shilpakala Academy Award (1977), Ekushey Padak (1986), 6th Bangabandhu Award (1994), Leipzig Book Fair Prize for Book Illustration (1983).
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday night expressed profound shock at the death celebrated artist Qayyum Chowdhury.
In a condolence message, the BNP chief said the death of the genius artist has created a big vacuum in the field of art and culture.
“The talented artist had earned immense reputation even outside the country for his outstanding contributions to modern arts and paintings,” shed observed.
Khaleda prayed for salvation of his departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members and his fans and well-wishers.
In another condolence message, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also condoled his death.
Qayyum Chowdhury passed away around 8:40pm after he fell sick at a musical event in the city on Sunday night at the age of 80. – UNB
