Born on January 10, 1946, in Faridpur district, he completed his graduation from the Government College of Fine Arts and Crafts in Kolkata in 1969.
An icon of modern art in Bangladesh, Kalidas was awarded Shilpakala Padak in 2016 and the Ekushey Padak in 2018 by the Government of Bangladesh for his contribution to fine arts.
Solo exhibitions of his works were held in Dhaka and many countries, including the US, India, Japan, Iran, and Hong Kong. Apart from painting he was also known for his installation work in which he used diverse materials like wood, pottery, brass, utensils and others.
Kalidas was prolific in using new mediums and style for his art work while maintaining his signature style. He called his work alluvial art meaning the art of the delta land which gave expression to the precarious nature of the alluvial land and its people, their struggles and hopes.
Karmakar also experimented with performance art which combined artist’s body as an object of art along with his paintings.