Arifur Rahman

Arifur Rahman was born in a small village in Bangladesh and obsessed with painting from a very early age. In 2004 he drew his first cartoon, when a fun magazine asked its readers to send in their work. Arif's cartoon was selected and this meant the start of his career in cartooning. Since it didn't earn him money, he also held a job in a grocery shop, owned by his cousin in Dhaka.

His cartoons were published in national magazines like Ummad and Bicchu until he was asked to draw exclusively for the Daily Prothom-Alo. In 2007 he won the Transparency Intrenational Bangladesh (TIB) cartoon contest which earned him recognition from fellow cartoonists Ranabi (Rafiq-un-Nabi) and Shishir Bhattacharya.

In September 2007, Arif published a controversial cartoon about the use of the name 'Mohammed'. As soon as it appeared in the newspaper, it attracted negative attention and the fury of muslim leaders. Arif was arrested and interrogated. He was accused of profanity but before his case could go to trial, he was pardoned and released. He has not been published in the newspapers since then, but is getting new assignments for other publications.

Article source:  http://www.lambiek.net/artists/r/rahman_arifur.htm