& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Dhaka Day by Day

Towards More Honour and Dignity

by Fayza Haq
DRIK had put up a thought provoking exhibition called "Struggle for Democracy ’87-"90" at the La Gaterie at Banani. The work was not art for art’s sake, as was stressed by Andre Raynouard, Director of the Alliance Francaisc. who had Inaugurated the exhibition. The selection of the pictures had not been so much on artistic merit as on the basis of the content.
The three photographers who took part in the exhibition. Dr Shahidul Alam. Altaf Hossain and Shafiqul Alam, were inspired, responsible and committed. "Drlk" is a word in Bangla which means, an Inner vision. The photographers are deeply aware of their responsibilities to their fellow citizens and are establishing their role as artists . through whose work others could see. It took courage and skill to do the work that these young men liave done. Thus these collections of photos. In their own way. record history.
Dr. Shahidul Alam. 35. who has a Ph.D in Organic Chemistry and taught Chemistry founded the DRIK picture library in ’88. Dr. Alam who’ is a self-taught photographer, won tire "Norval Shield" in ’83. and was awarded the "Harvey Harris Trophy" the same year.
Shafiqul Alam, 28. has been a photographer since "81. has done several photographic assignments for numerous international organisations.
Altaf Hossain, the third photographer. 27. belongs to the "Khabor" group of publications.
The exhibition traced the movement towards democracy from the day Nur Hussain died. as the first martyr of democracy, tn December ’90. The streets of Dhaka had become the focal point where the struggling groups had welded together. There was the dissatisfaction of the people, scattered acts of oppositions, police action, arrests and repressions. This had originally started from the military coup of ’82 and had culminated in the uprising in ’90. with the national struggle for honour and dignity. All this is recorded with accuracy In the exhibition of the three photographers.
Among the remarkable pieces In the exhibit was the picture of how In October 90 teachers and students protested at the Shahid Minar against the closure of the education institutions. This too was recorded with accuracy.
There was a splendid picture showing the students of Shahldullah Hall being beaten by the police. Along with it was a picture that depicted how Hindus were tortuted and looted.
There was the photo of 27th November, showing the place where Dr. Milon had been killed by a bullet. It was a few hours after this that a state of emergency was declared. This was followed by a picture showing girls from the halls rushing off for shelter, when there had been the order of the evacuation of the halls. The sense of panic and urgency was well recorded.
Since the beginning, women’s groups have resisted autocracy. The "United Women’s Front" protested against tire establishment of Islam as state religion in ’88. This was openly violating section 144. This incident was recorded with marvellous accuracy.
The painter Qamrul Hasan's cartoon of Yahya as the demon and the caricature of Ershad. made minutes before his death, were kept in mind in a rally of the students of the Arts College. The students of the Institute of Fine Arts were shown as continuing the tradttton of the great artist by carrying cartoons of Ershad in public.
The opposition protests led by Tokais" running at the police guns at the Shapla Chattar at Motijheel was also carefully recorded for all posterity.
There were scenes from the elections of 27th, February 91, in accordance with the recommendations of the three party alliance — a rare example of fair and free elections in modern times — did not go unmarked.
The photo display — each shot being accompanied by a comment — was a marvellous record of a nation's struggle for dignity and pride.