Artists and activists from different organisations created graffiti works representing characters and slogans of the student-led mass uprising that led to the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, and its aftermath.
They also depicted their desires in the days ahead through their graffiti works.
After the resignation of the Sheikh Hasina government, students drew graffiti on walls and streets of the Dhaka city as elsewhere across the country to express their demands and desires for building a discrimination-free Bangladesh.
‘After the resignation of the Sheikh Hasina government some groups tried to remove the slogans written during the mass uprising. We, however, took steps to bring back those slogans and graffiti and recreate them,’ said Deepak Suman, director of theatre troupe Teerondaz Repertory on Friday.
‘Students wrote the slogans portraying that difficult time when people, including students and activists, were being killed on the streets. The slogans also portrayed the police arresting, and firing at them. The slogans they wrote on walls or streets included “Killer Hasina Step Down” and “Dictator Hasina” which should be documented as the art of the mass uprising,’ Deepak said, adding that they would draw portraits of the martyrs of July killings on the pillars of metro rail.
‘Activists wrote slogans during the movement which was a signature of bravery. They wrote slogans and drew graffiti under the threat from police and the ruling party goons. We cannot remove them only for allegations of vulgarism,’ said photographer and activist Jannatul Mawa.
‘I congratulate them on creating graffiti countrywide spreading the theme of human rights, political consciousness and non-communal dreams. I believe they will carry the spirit of the student-led mass uprising and contribute to society in future. I request them to not remove the old graffiti which is also a signature of successful mass uprising,’ added Jannatul Mawa.
Students of Paddo art School of Uttara also drew Graffiti with the Student Movement Against Discrimination which was coordinated by artist Md Kauser Hossain.
‘We want a discrimination-free country and our students want to attend to the mass uprising through their artworks, we also deeply mourn killings of students in this movement and demand justice for them through the artworks,’ said Md Kauser Hossain.
‘The capital city Dhaka has now become a city of graffiti, carrying the message of unity, inclusiveness and a discrimination-free country,’ he added.
Khilkhet Art Community, a troupe of 150 artists, created Graffiti in the Khilkhet area which was coordinated by artist Sonya Binta Hasan.
‘We financed our works through crowdfunding. We also clean the streets after the movement. The students and artists were with us,’ said Sonya Binta Hasan.
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