The new calendar by Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) is as cute and colourful as before. Earlier, guided by Arham-ul Huq Chowdhury, the concept and design artists had organised similar calendars with musical instruments and flowers of Bangladesh as the theme. This year the subject is festivals and pageants of Bangladesh, seen through the eyes of (he young differently-abled residents of CRP whom Chowdhury teaches.

The calendar with its dozen colourful pages maybe cut up and used as postcards later. The thought-content behind the piece is a powerful one, as it encom-passvs meaningful periods in our lives and puts together many social and religious events of Bangladesh. For these artists, painting is not as easy as for most others. Yet their choice of colours and lines are promising and admirable.

Chowdhury is a self-taught artist who is a PhD student of Anthropology at the Dhaka University and so can give only some of his spare time for the tutoring of his disciples. Nevertheless, with pastel colours and simple sweeps of paints, the endeavour has been indeed remarkable.

The theme of Mother Language Day, a world event now, with the Shaheed Minar in the backdrop is present in the calendar. Women and children are seen with a wreathe bearing the CRP name. This is done by Ibrahim, a paraplegic artist.

With paralysed lower limbs, Nasrin, a teenager, has done Ashura, bringing the colourful pageantry, which marks the mar-

tyrdom of Imam Hussain and Imam Hassan. The traditional pageantry has been carefully done with blocks of flats at the back, horses drawing the model of a mosque, fluttering flags, and mourners bearing the cart and waving red and green symbols of the occasion. Although a solemn event, it Is not without its festive imageries of Old Dhaka.

Pahila Baishakh has been suitably done by a soft but mirthful washes of royal purple, vermilion, emerald green and a handful of other hues. Uons, peacocks, horses and humans, along with masks, balloons and nagordola delineate this occasion. This is again an effort by Ibrahim.

The flamboyant cover design, by Shihab, another young artist, who is a tetraplegic, celebrates Shab-e-Baraat. This festival with religious overtures, brings in the theme of prayers and all-night celebrations -- with fire-crackers and exchange of sweets. Bright sparks, stars, stripes and dramatic lines and shades complete th is image.

The printing is sponsored by Singer and the effort is a charitable one.