Eminent painter Dr. Md. Abdus Sattar will be honored with the 'Sultan Honorary Award-2026' today (Monday) during the 103rd birth anniversary celebrations of legendary artist SM Sultan in Narail.
Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury will present the award. Organized by the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the Cultural Affairs Ministry and the Narail District Administration, the day-long commemorative event features a Quran recitation, tributes at the artist's tomb, an art camp, children's painting competitions and cultural discussions.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Salam will preside over the events, with Narail MPs Biswas Jahangir Alam and Ataur Rahman Bachchu attending as special guests.
Tandra Mukherjee, curator of the SM Sultan Collection, stated that the annual award recognizes outstanding contributions to the nation's art scene. Dr. Abdus Sattar, an Ekushey Padak-2026 laureate and former professor at Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, is highly celebrated for masterfully blending traditional oriental art styles, murals and modernity. He has authored over 20 reference books used in higher education.
Remembering SM Sultan
Born on August 10, 1923 in Narail's Machimdia village, Sheikh Mohammad Sultan (affectionately known as 'Lal Mia') dedicated his 70-year life to capturing the essence of rural Bengal. Through masterpieces depicting farmers, river ghats and harvests, he uniquely portrayed the strength and resilience of the working class.
The globally acclaimed artist, who received the Ekushey Padak (1982), Resident Artist recognition (1984) and the Swadhinata Padak (1993), passed away on October 10, 1994.
