My statement

I live older part of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Built by the Mughals from the 15th century onwards this part of Dhaka developed as the provincial centre of commerce for the Eastern Bengal. In spite of the British colonialisalion, its nature had remained essentially the same for centuries. This was characterised by a unique urban culture, complete with its separate dialect and a particular way of life where demarcation lines between private lives and community activities interceded and blurred. The lives of peoples here were marked by the joy of closeness and a feeling of belongingness. This is perhaps best reflected in the architecture. The closely built structures, the intricate pattern of the roads, the doors and windows that opened directly on to the main alleys reflect the closely knit nature and the penne's of the community.
With the advent of modernity all that is changing. Dhaka is now a capital city and the pressures of urbanisation and development is resulting in the loss of a unique way of life. Commerce has always been the heart of old Dhaka but the current level of commercialisation cannot be contained within its confines. As a result, marginalization and decay has become the order of the day. All around me lives and structures keep falling apart. Viewed from the dominant paradigm old Dhaka has come completely irrelevant and perhaps even unwanted.
The main objective of my work is to break the stereotypes constructed by this dominant paradigm. I believe that old Dhaka has much to offer especially in terms of the advent of individualism that has wrought havoc in our society. The bonding and the togetherness, neighbourhood and belongingness, all these can essentially provide in the highly competitive environment of the present day. My work is, therefore, focused to reinvent the old city. The interpretation I offer, are attempts to portray from a treasure trove of memories, a way of life that if allowed to become extinct which leaves us hallow and empty.
The forms, composition, colours and the structures are reflective of this central ideology. It incorporates elements from my childhood memories, aspects of daily existence and is blended together to reflect the fantastic rhythm, music, smell and texture of the old city.