Dhaka, Aug. 21 -- I am writing this piece with great grief now that my very favourite painter and the nearest one - Murtaja Baseer has passed away. He breathed his last on August 15. A few weeks ago, he called me and told about his intended plan on art. He wanted to do a series of calligraphy, based on different verses from the Holy Qur'an which he recited with deep earnestness. But the artist left the world before doing the series of works.

I wrote a number of times for his exhibitions' catalogues, brochures and other different kinds of publications on various occasions. During the last few years, he had been suffering from a number of diseases as he was unable to attend any social and cultural gatherings. Yet he managed to attend a han...