Renowned artist Murtaja Baseer died after contracting coronavirus at a private hospital in the capital on Saturday morning. He was 88.
He breathed his last at Evercare Hospital around 9:15am, according to family sources.
Murtaja Baseer, also a poet, short story writer, novelist, researcher, numismatist and filmmaker, was awarded Ekushey Padak in 1980.
Baseer was son of scholar and a linguist Dr Muhammad Shahidullah and Marguba Khatun.
He enrolled in Dacca Art College (now the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka) in 1949. After graduating in 1954, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence during 1956-58.
Then he studied mosaic and etching at École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA) in Paris during 1971–73.
Baseer wrote several novels including Ultramarine (1954), Kanch-er Pakhir Gaan (1969), Mitar Shangey Char Shandha and Amitakkhar. He was a regular contributor to now defunct literary journals like Dilruba, Samakal, and Saogat. His first published poem was Parbe Na.
He was the scriptwriter, art director, and chief assistant director of Bengali film Nodi O Nari (The River and the Women).
He was also the art director of Urdu film Kaise Kahoon.
He joined University of Chittagong as an assistant professor and served until 1998.
The painter received Independence Award in 2019.
He will be buried at Banani Graveyard.
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