With the leadership of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin the eminent artists Anwarul Huq, Quamrul Hasan, Khawaja Shafique Ahmed, Safiuddin Ahmed and Habibur Rahman started Government art Institute 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 starte
d 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 was moved to a building at Segun Bagicha and then in 1956 it was moved to its own building at Shahbagh. In 1963 the Institute turned into Government Degree College and was named East Pakistan College of art and Crafts. After independence of Bangladesh this college was named Bangladesh college of Arts and Crafts. Art History department started M.F.A. 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 art of Dhaka University in 2008. At present there are eight departments in this Faculty. There are 43 permanent teachers and most of the teachers are eminent artists of the country. Faculty of Fine art is an important centre of Modern art practice in Bangladesh. Many eminent and internationally renowned artists of Bangladesh were the students of this Faculty.
