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In a heartwarming turn of events, a missing watercolor painting created by the renowned author, novelist, and filmmaker, late Humayun Ahmed, has been successfully recovered and returned to his family after nearly a decade. Humayun Ahmed, an iconic figure in Bengali literature, left behind a legacy that continues to inspire generations.
The story of the missing painting dates back to around 10 years ago when the prolific author was residing in the USA for medical treatment. During this period, Humayun Ahmed, spending time with his young son Nishat Humayun, painted a series of 24 watercolor artworks.
These paintings, a cherished creation of the late author, gained attention when a New York-based couple, Biswajit Saha and Ruma Chowdhury, requested to display them at a Book Fair in the USA. The condition was that the paintings would be returned to the family in Bangladesh once the exhibition concluded.
Tragically, after Humayun Ahmed's passing, efforts were made by his family to reclaim the paintings. While some were returned by Ruma Chowdhury in 2013 to the late author's mother, Mrs. Ayesha Foiz, several paintings remained missing.
In 2021, one of the missing paintings surfaced unexpectedly at an exhibition in Cumilla, sparking intrigue among the author's fans and family. This prompted Meher Afroz Shaon, Humayun Ahmed's wife, to take legal action by filing a complaint with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court in Dhaka. The court then entrusted the investigation to the PBI (Police Bureau of Investigation).
After a comprehensive two-year process, the CMM Court in Dhaka, under the guidance of Learned Magistrate Mr. Rajesh Chowdhury, ordered the recovered painting to be returned to Meher Afroz Shaon. The accused parties were also acquitted in light of the evidence presented.
Barrister Hamidul Mishbah, Advocate, Supreme Court, affirmed the official handover of the watercolor painting on August 22, 2023. Advocates Gazi Mahbub Alam and S M Shihab Uddin received the artwork on behalf of Meher Afroz Shaon.
In this regard, Meher Afroz Shaon stated that “we are relieved to have found the missing watercolor painting and feel that justice has been done through Court’s intervention. Getting the accused persons convicted was not our intention, our intention was to rescue and secure the missing artwork created by late Humayun Ahmed. We are grateful to the Honorable Court, PBI Officials and the team of Lawyers”.
