History

Drawing and Painting department of the Faculty of Fine art was established in 1948. Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Mr. Anwarul Huq, Mr. Mohammed Kibria joined in this department as teachers. Later on ex students of the same department Mr. Aminul Islam, Mr. Abdur Razzaque, Mr. Rashid Choudhury, Mr. Kazi Abdul Baset, Mr. Mustafa Monwar, Mr. Rafiqun Nabi, Mr. Hashem Khan, Mr. Monirul Islam, Mr. Kazi Giyas, Mr. Mahbubul Amin, Mr. Shahid Kabir, Mr. Mahmudul Haque, Mr. Delwar Hossain Joined as teachers.

With the leadership of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin the eminent artists Anwarul Huq, Quamrul Hasan, Khawaja Shafique Ahmed, Safiuddin Ahmed and Habibur Rahman started the Government Institute of Arts and Crafts in DNMI Hospital building at Jonson road in Dhaka.

At the moment of its beginning there were six teachers along with Zainul Abedin as the Principal and eighteen students. The activities of this institute started with three departments: Fine arts (at present Drawing and Painting), Commercial art (at present Graphic Design) and Graphic art (at present Printmaking). In 1952 the institute moved to a building at Segun Bagicha and then in 1956 it moved to its own building at Shahbag.

In 1963 the institute turned into Government Degree College and was named East Pakistan College of Arts and Crafts. After independence of Bangladesh this college was named Bangladesh College of Arts and Crafts. M.F.A. course has been started here since 1978. Art History department started MFA course in 1991 and honors course in 2001. In 1983 this college merged as institute in Dhaka University. Honors course has been started since 1992-93 session. The institute was turned into a Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Dhaka in 2008.