Celebrated sculptor and artist Hamiduzzaman Khan has died at the age of 79. He passed away at 10:07 am on Sunday while receiving treatment at United Hospital in Dhaka, confirmed his wife, painter Ivy Zaman.
Khan, whose works have left a profound mark on Bangladesh’s cultural landscape, had been battling both dengue and pneumonia, and had spent the last three days in intensive care after being admitted to the hospital on July 15.
Plans are underway to take his body to the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University, his alma mater and longtime place of work. “We are in touch with the family. The timing is yet to be confirmed. Once we know, we will notify everyone,” said Azharul Islam, Dean of the Faculty.
Born on March 16, 1946, in Sahashram village of Kishoreganj, Hamiduzzaman graduated in 1967 from the then Bangladesh College of Arts and Crafts, now the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University. He joined the institution as a faculty member in 1970 and devoted much of his life to teaching and artistic exploration.
While he worked across a variety of media including watercolour, oil, acrylic, and sketching, Hamiduzzaman is perhaps best known for his monumental sculptures, many of which reflect the spirit and struggles of the Liberation War.
Among his most notable public sculptures are: Jagrotobangla at the Fertiliser Factory in Ashuganj, Sangsaptak at Jahangirnagar University, Bijoy Keton at Dhaka Cantonment, Unity at Bangladesh Bank, Freedom at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh, Swadhinata Chironton at Bangladesh Open University, Mrityunjayee at the Government Services Commission in Agargaon, and Ebarer Sangram Muktir Sangram in Madaripur.