A sculptor’s demise: Mrinal Haque
The late sculptor was suffering from some health complications for the past few days and had been physically ill for a long time
Mrinal Haque, renowned sculptor, passed away early Saturday morning at a hospital in the capital. He was 62-years-old.
The late sculptor was suffering from some health complications for the past few days and had been physically ill for a long time.
He was taken to Evercare Hospital as his sugar and oxygen levels dropped on Friday night.
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The doctors declared him dead upon being taken to the hospital.
Born in Rajshahi on September 9, 1958, Mrinal was best known for making murals on the city streets of Dhaka.
He received his Bachelor's and Master's degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka.
Mrinal flew to the US in 1995 and began his sculpting career there.
He returned to Bangladesh in 2002.
Some of the sculptor's greatest works include the Golden Jubilee Tower, built on the occasion of the golden jubilee of Rajshahi University in 2003.
His other notable works are the "Ratnadip" in front of the Prime Minister's Office, "Rajoshik" near Hotel Intercontinental, "Janani O Gorbito Bornomala" at Paribagh intersection and "Kotoyal" in Eskaton.
However, one of Mrinal's sculptures created mass controversy and divided audiences for aesthetically distorting the Royal Bengal tiger's anatomy.
The sculpture of the tiger and her cub was installed at the Sonargaon Hotel intersection in the capital.
In 2015, it collapsed over a rickshaw puller, killing him on the spot.
A number of critics commented that the sculpture did not have any "touch of art", either.
The sculpture was later removed from the location.
Mrinal created a celebrity gallery in Gulshan to display the sculptures of famous people.
He later started rebuilding them in the face of criticism over the "distorted" looks of many celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan and Lionel Messi.
In 2016, a statue titled "Lady Justice", built by Mrinal, was erected in the Supreme Court premises.
However, the sculpture was taken down and placed behind the Annex Building afterwards as several Islamic organisations, including Hefazat-e Islam, protested for its removal.
Islamic fundamentalists group Ulama Anjuman-e Al-Bayanat vandalised Mrinal's "Balaka" sculpture at Motijheel while the government, in 2018, removed the "Lalon" sculpture from the Dhaka airport premises.
State Minister for Culture KM Khalid MP expressed deep grief over the death of the renowned sculptor.
