world-renowned artist SM Sultan. file photo

Narail, August 10, 2025 (BSS) - The 101st birth anniversary of world-renowned artist SM Sultan was observed here today with due respect and ceremony.

On the occasion, the SM Sultan Foundation and Narail district administration organized programs including Quran khwani at Sultan's graveyard, wreath-laying ceremonies, and a doa mahfil at the Sultan Complex to pay tribute to the iconic artist.

Deputy Commissioner and president of the SM Sultan Foundation, Sharmin Akhter Jahan, attended the program as the chief guest.

Also present were Deputy Director of Local Government Julia Shukyna, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Lincoln Biswas, District Information Officer Md Rostom Ali, Foundation's former member secretary Advocate Iqbal Hossain Sikder, Narail Press Club vice-president Sultan Mahmood, general secretary Mahbubur Rashid Lablu, Sultan Complex Curator Tandra Mukherjee, and others.

SM Sultan was born into a poor family in the Masumdia area of Narail town on August 10, 1924. He went on to become a legendary Bangladeshi artist known for his international exhibitions.

His artworks were showcased in Simla in 1946, Lahore and Karachi in 1948-49, and later in New York, Boston, London, and at Michigan University in 1959 - long before his 1976 exhibition at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

In 1950, he represented the then Pakistan government at the International Conference of Painters in America.

Throughout his illustrious career, Sultan received several prestigious awards, including the Ekushey Padak in 1982, the Bangladesh Charushilpi Sangsad Award in 1986, and the Swadhinata Padak in 1993.

Cambridge University honored him as the "Man of Asia" in 1982, and the Bangladesh government named him a resident artist in 1984.

SM Sultan passed away on October 10, 1994, at Jashore Combined Military Hospital. He was laid to rest in the yard of his home in the Masumdia-Kurigram area of Narail Municipality.