A cartoon can be a powerful form of protest. In Bangladesh, hundreds of cartoons drawn by the youth played a significant role in the July student uprising that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
These cartoons have become symbols of liberation and are now being exhibited internationally in New York.
Starting Friday, September 27, a three-day exhibition titled Rebellion in Cartoons is being held at RivalTel Auditorium in Jackson Heights, New York, a hub for Bangladeshi immigrants.
The event is organized by the Bangladesh Cartoonist Association, Thikana news outlet, and online humor magazine eRki.
At the opening, photographer Shahidul Alam honored those who sacrificed their lives for the movement, saying the cartoons created during the uprising would become historical records.
Reflecting on the political landscape in Bangladesh, Shahidul Alam remarked, ‘Governments come and go, but in some way, all our governments are oppressive. During Ershad’s rule, I had a gun pointed at my head. Under the BNP government, I was stabbed. The Awami League government tortured and jailed me. Every government seems to “love” me the same way.’
He further said, ‘Many will now criticize the previous government, but when they were in power, few dared to protest. Oppressors can continue their oppression largely because of this silence.’
Shahidul added, ‘A lot can be expressed through satire and humor. You can say things indirectly that can’t be said directly. It’s important to preserve the spirit of protest, and art and cartoons are powerful mediums for that.’
eRki Editor Simu Naser shared that 175 selected cartoons by 82 artists from the July movement are on display. The exhibition is open to the public until 9 PM on Sunday, September 29.
Other notable speakers included journalist Kader Gani Chowdhury, RivalTel CEO Ruhin Hossain, and Thikana TV Editor Khaled Muhyuddin.
