
Today is the 92nd anniversary of the birth of Independence Award-winning artist and Language Movement veteran Murtaja Baseer.
Munirah Bashir, daughter of Murtaja Baseer, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that they would pay tribute to Murtaja Baseer organising special prayer session.
‘We will pay tribute to him organising special prayer session at his grave at Banani. Besides, we will distribute food among the destitute,’ said Munirah Bashir, adding, ‘To mark the birth anniversary of Murtaja Baseer, we will honour veteran artist Monirul Islam.’
Born on August 17, 1932 on Dhaka University campus, Murtaja Baseer was the youngest son of the eminent linguist Muhammad Shahidullah.
He enrolled at Dhaka Government Institute of Art, now Dhaka University fine arts faculty, in 1949. He studied mosaic and etching at Beaux Arts in Paris.
Murtaja Baseer returned to Bangladesh in 1973 and joined as an assistant professor at Chittagong University and retired in 1998 from teaching as a professor.
The versatile painter also delved into literature and research.
His literary works include ‘Kancher Pakhir Gaan’, ‘Trosrenu’, ‘Tomakei Shudhu’, ‘Eso Phire Anusuya’, ‘Saday Elegy’, ‘Ultramarin’, ‘Mitar Sange Char Sandhya’ and ‘Amritakshar’.
He also wrote the script of Sadeq Khan’s Bangla film based on Humayun Kabir’s novel ‘Nadi O Nari’ and was also its art director and chief assistant director.
He spent many years in a research work on numismatic and rock inscription titled Mudra O Shilalipir Aloke Banglar Habshi Sultan O Tatkalin Samaj, which he believed would remain for posterity.
He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 1980 and Independence Award in 2019.
Murtaja Baseer passed away on August 15, 2020.