A ten-day long Sultan Mela will begin at the Sultan Mancha on the premises of Narail Government Victoria College on Sunday. The fair will continue until March 12.
Sheikh Mohammed Sultan (SM Sultan) is mainly known for his exquisite paintings and drawings mostly with nature and the hardworking rural population of Bangladesh as his subjects. He won various awards for his art work including Ekushey Padak in 1982.
The Bengali avant-garde artist was declared the Man of Asia in 1982 by Cambridge University. Sultan died on 10 October, 1994 and was buried in the yard of his own house at Masumdia village in Narail.
Khulna divisional commissioner Md Lokman Hossain Mia will inaugurate the fair in the afternoon.
A series of colourful events including an art exhibition and competition, a volleyball competition, ox fighting, and traditional games kabadi, lathikhela, kusti, Ha du du, cock fight, dariabandha, ekka dokka, bouchi, and danguli will be featured in this fair.
Meanwhile, SM Sultan Foundation in association with the District Administration has completed all the preparation. More than 200 stalls offering traditional textile and cottage industry products have been set up at the venue.
A seminar on Sultan’s life and works and various cultural programmes will also be held during the fair.
This year’s Sultan Gold Medal will be awarded to contemporary cinematographer Mustafa Monwar. He is also acknowledged as the father of the puppet industry. Ferdousi Priyobhashini, the late sculptor, got the gold medal last year.