The largest scroll painting of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, titled "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib: Canvas of a Great Life", by acclaimed artist Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash, is currently on display to mark the Birth Centenary Celebrations of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
On February 27, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugurated the 150-feet-long scroll painting from Ganabhaban at the Nalini Kanta Bhattasali Gallery of the National Museum.
Artist Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash worked on the painting for a year, from March 17, 2020 till March 18, 2021, seeking to inspire the people with Bangabandhu’s principles.
Bikash said: “To do a scroll painting on Bangabandhu’s life has always been a dream of mine. I have painted more than a thousand paintings of him, so I wanted to do a 100ft long scroll painting for his 100th birthday.”
The artist had decided to paint the artwork in 2019, but he faced significant difficulties in finding an uncut canvas.
"I couldn't find any uncut canvas in our country, so I went to Kolkata. There I found 20 meters of uncut canvas available at one location, and the company's headquarters was in Bombay,” he said.
“When I contacted their Bombay headquarters, they informed me that they could supply 100ft of uncut canvas, but their factory was in Kashmir and I would have to pay in advance. They took a month to produce the 150-foot-long, uncut canvas and ship it to Kolkata after I agreed,” Bikash added.
He said he faced even more difficulties bringing the canvas to Bangladesh.
" It weighed three pounds and stood at a height of 21 inches. As a result, it was not possible to transport it by air or by road. During this time, I contacted Towfique Hossain Khan, the Bangladesh assistant high commissioner in Kolkata, and informed him of everything. He took it upon himself to send the canvas to me within seven days," the artist further said.
The 150-feet-long scroll painting, titled 'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib: Canvas of a Great Life' by acclaimed artist Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash, on display at the Nalini Kanta Bhattasali Gallery at the National Museum in Dhaka Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
Living Room Studio
After the canvas arrived, the complex process of actually painting the artwork began. As Bikash did not have a studio, he had to remove most of the normal furnishings from his apartment and keep the painting there.
"I kept the enormous canvas in my 25-foot-long living room. Then I built a special frame so that the canvas would be able to roll in two directions. To protect the canvas from dust, we shut all the windows for an undetermined amount of time. By this time, my wife and I, as well as my two sons, had all developed mental illnesses," he said.
"I started it on Bangabandhu's birthday, March 17, 2020, but I couldn't keep it up after a month due to Covid-19. The drawing appeared to me to be a luxury during that time. This situation continued till September,” he added.
The 150-feet-long scroll painting, titled 'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib: Canvas of a Great Life' by acclaimed artist Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash, on display at the Nalini Kanta Bhattasali Gallery at the National Museum in Dhaka Mehedi HasanOn September 28 the same year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s birthday, Bikash saw some of his previous work on Facebook.
“When I saw the paintings, I thought to myself that we could not continue to keep everything on hold. That day, I picked up my brushes again.”
Bikash then painted for about 8-10 hours each day until the painting was completed.
The 150-feet-long scroll painting, titled 'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib: Canvas of a Great Life' by acclaimed artist Shahjahan Ahmed Bikash, on display at the Nalini Kanta Bhattasali Gallery at the National Museum in Dhaka Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune‘No one believed in me’
The artist said he approached the Mujib Year Committee for funding prior to starting the painting, but no one was willing to help him.
"I was hospitalized due to a heart attack at the time the Mujib Year Committee was looking for plans from artists. Therefore I wasn't able to submit my plan on time. But I prayed to God that I would be able to finish it before I die."
He said he met with the prime minister, who told him to speak with the Birth Centenary Celebration Committee Chief Coordinator Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury about the matter.
"Kamal Chowdhury asked for a proposal from me and instructed me to include the cost. He said he'd let the committee know about my plan. Unfortunately, it was turned down by the committee. I was hurt, but then I thought that I had arranged the canvas and color at my own expense, so I would be able to finish it as well."
After he finished the painting in May, he sent a few pictures to the culture minister but the minister seemed uninterested. “I was hurt once more.”
Eventually, he sent a 22ft print of the artwork to Education Minister Dipu Moni, who promised that she would show it to the prime minister.
"The following day, there was a session of parliament. I heard she presented it to the PM in front of everyone, and the PM said that it was Bikash's work. After that, the Mujib Year Committee became interested in this project and the PM said that she would inaugurate it,” Bikash said.
Although the painting has been drawing a significant amount of visitors, it is actually incomplete, he added.
"I painted till 1981, when Sheikh Hasina returned to Bangladesh. In the final frame, I wanted to draw the eyes of Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina, symbolizing that they are looking out for Bangladesh's future. However, I didn't finish it because the prime minister was unable to attend. Perhaps I will paint it someday," he explained.
When he finished 100 ft of the portrait by March 7, 2021, Bikash decided to extend it to 150ft.
“I realized that we shouldn’t get hung up on the length, because we would need a canvas that was thousands of feet long to do Bangabandhu’s life justice,” the artist said.