Parven Ahmed

Perveen Ahmad was a women’s activist and a pioneer in the movement for the recognition of Bangladeshi crafts. She worked tirelessly to promote local crafts both nationally and internationally. She travelled across the country to convince thousands of artisans that their work should be recognized as cultural heritage. In 1974 she was instrumental in organizing the "First National Handicrafts Exhibition" at the Shilpakala Academy, which led to the establishment of the first artisans’ organization in the country, Bangladesh Hastashilpa Samabaya Federation Limited - KARIKA in 1974. She made Bangladesh a member of the World Crafts Council, an affiliate of UNESCO in 1978. She organized the first Asian Regional Artisan's Workshop in 1986 under the World Crafts Council, UNESCO Paris and UNESCO Bangladesh and was made a Member of the World Crafts Council the same year. She had done extensive research on Bangladeshi crafts, women of Bangladesh and related sociopolitical issues and advocated for research by/for women by founding Women for Women Research and Study and for women-led video production by starting FemCom. Her research-based title Aesthetics and Vocabulary of Nakshi Kantha was published by the Bangladesh National Museum (1997).