Eminent artist and cultural personality Mustafa Monwar passed away at a hospital in Dhaka on Monday. He was 90.
The renowned artist breathed his last around 8:30 am while undergoing treatment at the hospital due to old-age complications, said his family.
In a condolence message, Bangla Academy Director General Prof Mohammad Azam said Bangladesh’s legendary cultural figure and honorary fellow of Bangla Academy, Mustafa Monwar, passed away on Monday morning.
He said Monwar’s contribution to the creative development of the country’s media including Bangladesh Television is unforgettable.
He also prayed for the eternal peace of the artist’s soul and expressed sincere condolences to the bereaved family.
According to family sources, Monwar had been suffering from various age-related health complications for several years.
Mustafa Monwar is known as the "Puppet Man of Bangladesh".
During the Liberation War in 1971, he organised puppet shows at the refugee camps in West Bengal to make people aware about the war.
His television puppet show ‘Moner Kotha’ ran on BTV for 12 years, which told the story of a little girl called Parul and her seven brothers named Champa who were cursed and turned into flowers. It is based on the folklore ‘Saat Bhai Champa’.
Born on September 1, 1935 in Jashore, Monwar was the youngest of six siblings. His father was renowned poet Golam Mostafa.
Mustafa Monwar studied at Narayanganj Government School before briefly enrolling in science at Scottish Church College, Kolkata.
He later shifted to the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata, graduating in 1959 with first class first in Fine Arts.
After beginning his professional career as a lecturer at the then East Pakistan College of Arts and Crafts, Mustafa Monwar went on to serve as Deputy Director General of Bangladesh Television, Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and National Institute of Mass Communication.
In his illustrious and successful career, he held the position of director general at Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and the National Media Institute.
He also served as the managing director of the FDC, and the founder president of Directors Guild Bangladesh.
This eminent art maestro earned the prestigious All India Fine Arts Competition award, Zainul Abedin Gold Medal and most notably country’s highest honor, the Ekushey Padak in 2004.
His creative works enriched the childhoods of several generations and left a lasting impact on Bangladesh’s cultural heritage.
