Acclaimed Bangladeshi artist and art educator Professor Rokeya Sultana has recently been honored with the Ekushey Padak 2025 in painting, recognising her lifelong contribution to the country’s artistic landscape.
On this International Women’s Day, her achievement stands as a testament to the power of creativity and resilience in shaping Bangladesh’s cultural heritage.
The nation's first female artist to win major awards at the National Art Exhibition, the prestigious Asian Art Biennale, and numerous other prestigious art competitions; the first female student at the Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Art to enroll in and finish her Master's programme at Vishwa Bharati University in Shantiniketan, India - Professor Rokeya Sultana is highly regarded as a pioneering artist and art educator.
In addition to bringing fame and respect to the country, her artistic endeavours have encouraged future generations of artists to seek careers in the field.
Receiving the Ekushey Padak, the nation’s second-highest civilian award, Rokeya Sultana recently spoke to UNB and expressed deep gratitude, dedicating the award to the women of Bangladesh.
"Our women have been working tirelessly at various levels of society, but many are unable to cope with various setbacks. If my art and overall creative endeavors can add even a small step to this journey, I will feel blessed; and thus, I dedicated my Ekushey Padak to the women in various roles at home and abroad who are presenting Bangladesh to the world," she told UNB.
During her felicitation speech on February 20 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium after receiving the Ekushey Padak from Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, the artist said: "I am deeply grateful to the Government of Bangladesh for honoring me with the Ekushey Padak, and also to those who nominated me. At this moment of achievement, I deeply remember my mother, Mohsena Khatun, and father, Chowdhury Abdul Ghaffar, a heroic freedom fighter - they sowed the seeds of my intense love for art. Despite all odds, they gave me the opportunity to walk this path."
She credits much of her success to her mentors at Dhaka Fine Arts Institute and Santiniketan, particularly Mohammad Kibria, a direct student of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin.
"A special place in my heart belongs to Kibria Sir, who was not only a teacher but also a father figure, and it is such an honor that he was once awarded this same title (the Ekushey Padak). These are the people who gave me strength, and I also tried to give that strength to my art and my daughter," she stated while receiving the award.
For Rokeya Sultana, art is a lifelong journey - one that embodies both victory and struggle. Her Ekushey Padak 2025 stands as a recognition of this journey, as well as a tribute to the resilience of women across Bangladesh and beyond.
Her artistic journey has been one of passion, perseverance, and dedication to portraying the essence of life through colors and forms. Rokeya Sultana’s work, inspired by the rhythms of nature and human emotions, reflects the struggles and triumphs of ordinary people - especially women.
A pioneering artist in the country, Rokeya Sultana has long been an advocate for women’s empowerment through art. Her celebrated series, "Earth, Water & Air" and "Fata Morgana," showcase innovative techniques she mastered during her Fulbright scholarship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Using Monotype Pressure Prints, she layers colors to symbolize the passage of generations and the timeless rhythm of life.
As the proud daughter of a freedom fighter, Rokeya was deeply influenced in her early years by the brutal war that resulted in the establishment of the nation-state of Bangladesh in 1971.
Her painting was influenced by a strong sense of cultural identification. She talks about the power of intuition and creativity, which can be feminine qualities that lead to universal truths, as well as difficulties related to women.
Revered as a Professor at the Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Art’s Department of Printmaking, she was previously the department chair and an active artist at home and beyond, winning many National and International awards and artistic accolades. Born in Chittagong in 1958, Rokeya received her MFA in printmaking from Visva Bharati, Santiniketan, in 1983, after graduating from the Bangladesh College of Arts and Crafts in 1980.
An internationally renowned printmaking artist and painter, Rokeya Sultana has won numerous awards both domestically and internationally.
She has been recognised and awarded for her work at the Asian Biennale, the National Art Exhibition, and the Bharat Bhaban Biennale in India, a residence fellowship at L'Atelier Lacouriere et Frelaut, Paris and a prestigious Fullbright grant from the United States, which supported her nine-month artist's residency at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Her works have been showcased in a number of nations, including Poland, Germany, Morocco, Oman (Bait Al Zubair Museum), France, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Taiwan, Nepal, Korea, Denmark, Pakistan, India, USA’s Denver & New York (Art Student League), and Japan.
Besides her latest honor, her other notable awards are the Purchase Award, Somerstown Gallery, 4th Biennial, NY, USA (1992), Grand Prize in the 3rd Bharat Bhavan Print Biennale (1995), Bengal Foundation Award in the 14th National Art Exhibition (1999), Honourable Mention in the 9th Asian Art Biennale (1999), Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Award in the National Art Exhibition (2002). In 2003, Sultana availed of a French government scholarship at L'Atelier Le Couriere et Frelaut in Paris, and she became an Artist in Residence at Open Print Studio, Toronto, Canada, in 2017.
Currently dividing her time between Dhaka and Sydney, Sultana continues to promote Bangladeshi art on the global stage, bridging modern and traditional styles.
Her contributions have not only enriched the country’s artistic heritage but also paved the way for future generations of female artists.