When the nation pays its homage to the memory of Qamrul Hassan on the occasion of his third death anniversary today. It will be honouring not Just a great painter but also a liberal humanist, a pioneer in the country's art movement and. above all. a staunch defender of democracy against autocracy. It is in the last-mentioned role played by the artist, in circumstances which were both heroic and painful, when he drew a caricature of Ershad as the world’s "most shameless" autocrat and then passed away as a result of a massive heart attack, that he will be remembered most. After all. the painter's anniversary today falls within less than two months of the fall of Ershad. So. the sadness we all feel at the loss of "Qamrul Bhai" , as thousands called him fondly, only casts a shadow over the country's Jubilation on the end of autocracy.

One day. when the memory of the eight-year authoritarian regime of Ershad will be no more than a bad dream. Bangladesh will honour Qamrul Hassan in the right perspective, as a. painter, one whose contribution to the setting up of our art movement was second only, to that of Shilpacharya Zalnul Abedin. The two had a lot in common. Both drew their artistic inspiration from the lives of the ordinary people and both treated their subject matter as more important than stylistic innovations. Like Abedin, Qamrul became a mentor to younger artists who, in their turn, contributed their weaknesses and strength of our ever-growing art movement.

At seminars organised today, we will hear authoritative discussions on the art of Qamrul Hassan. If the painter himself was with us today, he would have preferred the discussion to be more on the art movement than on an Individual artist. Perhaps, he would have also liked us to pay increased attention to giving art a more visible place in our eveiy day life, a task in which the private sector could well a role, perhaps in setting up commercial art galleries. We would surely-like to see more books on art published here, a bigger coverage of art exhibitions in the local press and Indeed more attention paid to this all-important aspect of life by the country's electronic media. This is the kind of tribute to his memory thal Qamrul would have loved most.