Bangladesh on Tuesday bid an emotional farewell to eminent artist, cultural icon and pioneer of the country’s puppet movement Mustafa Monwar, as thousands of admirers, artists, academics and cultural activists gathered across Dhaka to pay their final respects before he was laid to rest with full state honours at Banani Graveyard at 3:30 pm.
Following his second funeral prayer (janaza) at the Central Jame Mosque of the Dhaka University campus, Monwar’s mortal remains were taken to the Faculty of Fine Arts, where he had spent a significant part of his artistic life.
His body arrived at the faculty around 1:45 pm, where teachers, students, colleagues and well-wishers gathered to bid him an emotional farewell. A one-minute silence was observed in his honour before floral tributes were placed by the Faculty of Fine Arts, the Department of Sculpture of Dhaka University, the Sculpture Alumni Association, the Faculty of Fine Arts of Jagannath University, Gallery Cosmos, Bengal Foundation, Studio-48, Bangladesh Students’ Union, the Cultural Institute of Shaheed Lt. Selim School and several other cultural, social and professional organisations.
Earlier in the day, Monwar’s body was kept at the premises of Bangladesh Television (BTV), where colleagues and admirers paid tribute. At 11 am, it was taken to the Central Shaheed Minar, where members of the public gathered to honour the legendary artist. He was accorded a state guard of honour at around 12:45 pm before the funeral prayer at Dhaka University.
After the tribute ceremony at the Faculty of Fine Arts, the cortege proceeded to the premises of Channel i, an institution with which Monwar shared a long and distinguished association. The television network had earlier named its ‘Mustafa Monwar Studio’ in recognition of his immense contribution to the country’s cultural landscape.
The ambulance carrying his body reached the Channel i compound around 2 pm. Following another round of floral tributes, his final janaza was held at approximately 2:15 pm, attended by Channel i officials and employees, artists, cultural personalities, admirers and people from different walks of life.
Before the prayer, Channel i Director and Head of News Shykh Seraj remembered Monwar as a revered mentor whose relationship with the organisation had spanned many years. He recalled that the studio named after the veteran artist was established about four years ago as a tribute to his enduring legacy.
After the final prayers, Monwar’s body was taken to Banani Graveyard, where he was laid to rest with full state honours, bringing to a close the remarkable journey of one of Bangladesh’s most influential figures in art, television and culture.
