Quamrul Hassan - Biography

Biography

Hassan was born in Kolkata, where his father, Muhammad Hashim, was superintendent of the a local Graveyard. Quamrul Hassan studied at Calcutta Model ME School, Calcutta Madrasa and later in the Government Institute of Arts, an affiliated arts college of the University of Calcutta, all in Kolkata. He graduated in Fine Arts in 1947. Hassan was very interested in physical exercise and in 1945 became the Bengal champion in a physical exercise competition. During the Pakistan movement, he became involved with it like many other muslim young men of the time.

After the Partition of India, Quamrul Hassan came to Dhaka which was then the capital of the eastern part of the newly founded Pakistan. Together with Zainul Abedin, he established the Government Institute of Fine Arts (at present, the Institute of Fine Arts) in 1948. Politically active with leftist inclinations, Hassan was involved in the long political process that led to the creation of independent Bangladesh. He partook in the non-cooperation movement against Ayub Khan in 1969. During liberation war he served as the Director of the Art Division of the Information and Radio Department of the Bangladesh Government in exile. He also designed the Flag of Bangladesh.

Hassan died on February 2, 1988 after suffering a massive heart attack while attending the National Poetry Festival. He was buried beside the central mosque of the University of Dhaka.