Arifur Rahman

Arifur Rahman (left) with American political cartoonist Ranan Lurie (right) in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo from South Asian cartoon congress 2008.

Arifur Rahman was born in a small village called Tetiar Kanda in Shahjadpur, Sirajganj, Bangladesh. When Arifur Rahman was in the Preschool, Arif's father left his wife and children and remarried.[5] Arif's parents got divorced afterward and his mother went back to her family's village, taking Arif and his sister along. They were broke and his mother was depressed. Whatever she was to inherit from her father had already been given to her husband in dowry, so she had nothing to get by. Arif, with his mother and sister, lived in a room with their grandmother. Arif's maternal grandfather was a pious man and had two wives. Arif's mother was among the children from his first marriage, but he had come to live with his second wife during those years. It meant he barely saw his first wife. Arif was enrolled in the a nearby school there.[6]

Sleep and dream. This cartoon describes the difference between the poor and the richest, and the difference between their dreams and goals. One of the Arifur Rahman's earlier cartoons from 2008.

Arif and his family struggled for money. His mother started farming chickens for some pocket money. His uncles and aunts helped out by gifting Arif's mother goat and sheep cubs and he used to take care of the cattle when he returned from school. Arif went to a village school back then, which was far away from his grandfather's house. Arif had to walk a very long way to go to school every day.[6] Their village did not yet have access to electricity so, in the evening, he had to study by the tame flame of a kerosene lamp. He was a self-taught cartoonist and started drawing at an early age. His first cartoon was published in 2004 in a satire magazine called Bichhu by the Daily Jugantor.[7] Every day, he drew cartoons and sent them to the newspapers for publishing. That is how he created a name for himself as a cartoonist.[7]

He studied both in Bangladesh and in Norway.

• 2001–06, Arifur Rahman studied for a Bachelor of Arts at the National University of Bangladesh.
• 2012-13 studied Visual Arts at Nansen Academy, Lillehammer, Norway.  
• 2014-16 studied 3D and Animation at Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway.

In Bangladesh, he was famously known as “Cartoonist Arif.” In April 2004, Arif's cartoon was published in the satire magazine, “Bicchu” under the Daily Jugantor.[7] Since then, he has been drawing political satire cartoons and comic strips instead of paintings. He drew every day and sent his work off to newspapers. Almost all the daily newspapers in Bangladesh regularly published his cartoons back in the day. During 2004–2007, he drew a large number of cartoons for various Bangladeshi newspapers, such as The Daily Jugantar, Bhorer Kagoj, Samakal, Jaijaidin, Amar Desh, Ittefaq and Prothom Alo. He was noticed by people and known as "Cartoonist Arif" around Bangladesh. He was recognized by fellow and legendary Bangladeshi cartoonists like Rafiqun Nabi, Shishir Bhattacharjee, and Ahsan Habib.

In 2005, Rahman won the third prize in a contest titled Pin Hunt that was put on by The Daily Prothom Alo's periodical, Alpin (আলপিন), and won third prize in the Anti-Corruption Cartoon Competition arranged by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in 2006, as well as first prize in the Anti-Corruption Cartoon Competition arranged by The Daily Star in 2007[8][9] and in the same year, The Daily Prothom Alo appointed him to draw cartoons as a contributing cartoonist.[10]

Imprisoned on the 18th of September, 2007,[19] Arifur Rahman stayed in prison for six months and 2 days. While in prison, Arif was heartbroken and felt very helpless.[20][21] He felt wronged by his people and the country. He decided while sitting behind the bars that he would create a platform for the artists and art enthusiasts where they could express their talent and enjoy mindful art without any limitations or without the fear of being misunderstood, wrongfully judged or censored.[22]

On 4 February 2008, the High Court ruled Arif's detention illegal,[23] dropped all charges brought against him and ordered his immediate release. But he was not released right away. He was finally freed on 20 March 2008,[1][24][25] but the struggle continued for Arif as he found it hard to pursue his cartooning dreams like he used to. He could not continue his studies due to the scandal as universities would not admit him because of his controversial background. In 2009, another case was filed against him in a court in Jessore, Khulna for the very same cartoon published in 2007.[26][27] The court in Jessore sentenced him to two months of rigorous imprisonment and fined him 500 Bangladeshi Taka, or another seven days in prison for impiety.[27]

Many Bangladeshi newspapers refused to publish any more of Arif's cartoons but some of them, the likes of The Daily Ittefaq and The Daily Prothom Alo, however, agreed to publish them under a pseudonym.[28] Arif was disheartened with that turn of events. His desire to create an uncensorable cartooning platform only got stronger with these unpleasant incidents fanning the fire.[29]

In 2010, the Government of Norway willingly granted Arif political asylum as his life came to a standstill in Bangladesh and his life was under constant threat.[4] Arif wanted to stay back in his beloved motherland but he was not able to because of his controversy, as he was labeled by his 2007 scandal. Arif also came to fear for his life as one threat after another kept on coming in all shapes and forms. He had no option but to emigrate to Norway on 30 November 2010, and start a new life there for himself and his ambitions.[4] He cannot enter his beloved Bangladesh ever again without being prosecuted.[26][27]

On March 1, 2017, Arifur Rahman had an exhibition in Drøbak, where some new Syrian refugees appeared in the exhibition place before opening and took two of his drawings. One of the drawings was from 2007 from Bangladesh and another one was a criticism of the education system, “Madrasa Education System” in Bangladesh.[36][37][38][39][40][41]

In 2015, organized the International Cartoon Exhibition "Children in War" to focus on the suffering of children in war and conflict areas, such as in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq. One hundred and twenty-eight cartoonists participated in 51 different countries. On 10 September 2015, the exhibition was opened by Bishop Atle Sommerfeldt in The Norwegian Cartoonist Gallery (Avistegnernes Hus), Drøbak. It was a moving exhibition, which was exhibited in Oslo, Nesodden, Bergen, Stavanger, Haugesund, Kristiansand in Norway, and Norrköping, Sweden. The event was supported by The Norwegian Cartoonist Gallery and Fritt Ord.[46][55]

To draw the global awareness about women's rights, the cartoon competition was organized by Arifur Rahman and Toons Mag. 567 cartoonists were participated from 79 different countries with 1,625 drawings, and 12 cartoonist was won the award out of 567 cartoonists. A selection was represented in the Women's Rights exhibitions, which opened in Drøbak, Bangalore and Uttar Pradesh on International Women's Day, 8 March 2016.[56][57] The drawings in the exhibitions deal with women's rights and limitations; the lack of education, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, violence, discrimination, legal protection, and workload.[56][58] On 10 December 2016, it was exhibited in the Brain Sneezing Gallery in the Prešov Wave Club, Slovakia.[59][60] The event was supported by The Norwegian Cartoonist Gallery, Fritt Ord,[61] Indian Institute of Cartoonist, Brain Sneezing Gallery, Prešov Wave club, EEA funds, and the Slovak Republic.

This exhibition was organized to support freedom of expression. It has five hundred and eighteen cartoonists who participated from 83 countries, submitting 1,556 cartoons, and 12 cartoonists were won the award out of 518 cartoonists. The exhibition opening was in three countries, Norway, India, and Slovakia. Per Edgard Kokkvold, writer and former newspaper editor inaugurated the exhibition, in Drøbak. In Lillehammer, Norwegian musician Moddi Knutsen, inaugurated the exhibition and Norwegian political cartoonist Roar Hagen announced the award winner. It was also exhibited in Kýchanie Mozgu – Brain Sneezing gallery, Prešov, and Košice, Slovakia, as well as in the Slovak embassy in Oslo, Norway. Later on, it was exhibited on Eidsvoll, Norway.[62] The event was supported by The Norwegian Cartoonist Gallery, Fritt Ord,[63] Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer,[64] Brain Sneezing Gallery, Prešov, and Indian Institute of Cartoonist.[65][66]