Murtaja Basheer (17 August 1932 – 15 August 2020) was a Bangladeshi painter and artist known for his abstract realism themed works. He was also a poet, author, researcher, numismatist, and filmmaker. Basheer was awarded the Ekushey Padak, Bangladesh's second highest civilian honor in 1980, and the Independence Award, Bangladesh's highest  civilian state award in 2019. He was a member of the Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prize Committee in Japan from 1992 to 2004, member of Board of Trustees of Chittagong University Museum, member of Arts and Humanities Research Evaluation Committee of Bangladesh University Grants Commission and Commonwealth Scholarship Selection Committee.

Murtaja Basheer was a lifetime member of Bangla Academy and Bangladesh Asiatic Society.