First edition of Art Dhaka to take place on November 6–10

An exciting chapter in Bangladesh's cultural landscape has begun with the official launch of Art Dhaka, a new art fair scheduled to be held in Dhaka from November 6–10 this year.

The launch event held at Aloki on Sunday brought together diplomats, corporate leaders and members of the country's arts and culture community, formally introducing the initiative to the public. The initiative is led by a group of individuals and institutions deeply committed to promoting the country's arts and culture.

The founding members include Durjoy Rahman, Aumia Khundkar, Amreen Bashir Ali, Fahd Sattar, and Nahar Khan. Together, they bring a powerful convergence of cultural leadership, media, philanthropy, and institutional experience.

Art Dhaka has been conceived as a hybrid art fair designed to bring together artists, galleries, collectors, and institutions within a single curated environment. The fair will feature gallery presentations, curated exhibitions, public programming, and dedicated spaces for emerging artists and new collectors.

The fair will be designed to create multiple points of engagement. Talks, panels, and interactive experiences will offer audiences insight into artistic practice, collecting, and the evolving role of art in society.

A central focus of Art Dhaka is to bridge the generational gap among patrons and cultivate new audiences, said a press release on Thursday.

Through accessible entry points, educational programming, and direct engagement with artists and curators, the platform aims to demystify the art world and build familiarity with artistic practice.

By creating pathways for students, young professionals, and first-time buyers to engage with art in a meaningful way, Art Dhaka seeks to establish an informed next generation of collectors who can support and strengthen the cultural ecosystem over time.

With the tagline, "Art for All," this platform aims to be a place where artists, collectors, and institutions can meet, where new audiences can engage with confidence, and where the cultural energy of Bangladesh can be experienced at scale.

The first edition of Art Dhaka aims to facilitate a space where artistic practice, audiences, and patronage come together with clarity and purpose.

About the founders:

Durjoy Rahman is the Founder of the Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation (DBF) and one of Asia's foremost art collectors and cultural philanthropists. For over three decades, he has been deeply involved in building a distinguished collection that spans international masters alongside emerging and established South Asian artists. Through DBF, Durjoy actively supports creative practice by initiating exhibitions, artist residencies, publications, and cross-cultural collaborations worldwide. The name "Durjoy Bangladesh" translates to "Invincible Bangladesh," reflecting a spirit of resilience and cultural strength that aligns with the foundation's mission.

DBF has long-term partnerships with leading international institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), among others, playing a vital role in placing Bangladeshi and South Asian art within major global discourses.

Nahar Khan works across media, culture, and global engagement, shaping narratives that move across borders. She is the Executive Editor of the United News of Bangladesh (UNB), one of the country's leading and most trusted independent news agencies. She oversees editorial integrity, newsroom innovation, and the agency's ongoing transformation within an evolving information ecosystem.

She is the founder of Solis, a multi-pillar platform working across strategic insights and intelligence, convening and culture. Her practice is shaped through directing exhibitions, artist residencies, high-level symposia, and international exchange programs that place Bangladeshi art in dialogue with global platforms.

Her broader work includes her role on the board of Cosmos Foundation, supporting conservation, cultural and heritage initiatives. Through exhibitions and cross-border collaborations, she has worked to position Bangladesh's narratives within wider global conversations. Her most recognised project, The Black Story, brought together artists and scholars across continents to explore shared histories through an Afro–South Asian lens.

Amreen Bashir Ali is a strategist and academic working at the intersection of art, education, and global development. She leads initiatives at the Mubarak Ali Foundation focused on cultural diplomacy and education, including partnerships with institutions such as Harvard Business School, Frieze Art Fair and South by Southwest (SXSW) London. She holds degrees from McGill, Harvard, and Oxford University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Education at Trinity College Dublin.

T. Aumia Khundkar is the Deputy Managing Director of ICE Media, Bengal Group Limited and leads the operations and editorial direction of the company's two publications, ICE Today and ICE Business Times. Beyond publishing, Khundkar has extensive experience in managing public relations and communications, and organising events such as Bengal Classical Music Festival and Dhaka Makers. With a deep-rooted affinity for art, culture, and music, her work is driven by a continued commitment to nurturing and elevating Bangladesh's evolving creative landscape.

Fahd Sattar is the Founder and CEO of Aloki, a multidisciplinary cultural space in Dhaka working across the intersections of art, music, design, performance, and public programming. He is also the co-founder of Dhaka Makers, a platform dedicated to supporting independent artisans, designers, artists, and creative entrepreneurship within Bangladesh's evolving cultural landscape.

His work focuses on building accessible and community-driven cultural infrastructure through exhibitions, festivals, markets, performances, and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Through both Aloki and Dhaka Makers, Sattar has worked to create spaces that bring together artists, craftspeople, musicians, curators, and audiences in ways that encourage dialogue, experimentation, and new forms of cultural exchange.

With a background rooted in creative direction, event-making, and independent cultural production, his practice explores how alternative platforms can contribute to the growth of contemporary culture and creative economies in Bangladesh.