Zainul Abedin

Zainul Abedin, a legendary artist of Bangladesh.

Born in Mymensingh, Abedin drew pictures sitting by the Brahmaputra River.[3] While a student at the local Mrityunjay ("Triumph Over Death") School, he won the first prize in a Bombay Chronicle art competition. Subsequently, the school's headmaster sent more of Abedin's paintings to India. Devoted to his art, the school teachers encouraged him to go to Kolkata and, in 1933, Abedin was admitted to Calcutta Government Art School.[3]

In the 1950s, Abedin began a movement of collecting neglected pieces of Bangladeshi arts works that were scattered all over rural areas of the country. The artist remained attached to his hometown, prompting the establishment of a museum in Mymensingh on 15 April 1975 in a building owned by a Mr. Barden who later sold it to a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council.[5] The gallery opened with approximately 70 pieces of art that included oil paintings and drawings by Abedin during his tours abroad. The gallery was initially run by a committee that was assisted by a local administration.

In its early years, it had 77 of Abedin's paintings but in 1982, seventeen pieces of art were stolen from the museum, only ten of which were retrieved in 1994.[5] Renovations began in 1997. Two year later, the National Museum took charge of the gallery, and completed renovations in 2004 on the 3.2-acre (1.3 ha) facility. This included construction of a main gate, ticket counters, and walls. A projector, sound system, and de-humidifier were installed. An artists' cottage and an open-air stage were added.

This is a really proud thing that Bangladesh had this kind of legend ...