The art titled ‘The Art of Democracy, Unity – A Journey of Unity’ was exhibited in Chattogram on Friday, February 7, showcasing the resilience and struggles of students and the public in Bangladesh’s history of political upheavals. The exhibition, which opened at the Chattogram Art Academy’s Art Gallery, aims to preserve the memory of the nation’s pivotal movements against inequality and injustice.
The exhibition was officially opened by Faruk-E-Azam, the Interim Government’s Advisor on Relief and Disaster Management, and Dr. Shahadat Hossain, Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation. The event, which runs for two days, features over 160 images documenting the 2018 student protests against quotas and inequality, as well as the larger movement for justice.
Following the inauguration, guests toured the exhibition on the second and third floors of the Art Gallery, viewing photographs of the 2018 protests, slogans, graffiti, and a teaser for a documentary about the July Revolution.
In addition to the exhibition, the event included the unveiling of a magazine dedicated to the July Revolution, with Faruk-E-Azam delivering the keynote speech. In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of preserving the history of the July Revolution, which he described as a fight for a just society, where youth stood against authoritarian policies and demanded the restoration of democracy. He also noted that the government had supported the families of those who lost their lives in the revolution and had provided medical care for the injured, including treatment abroad.
Chattogram’s mayor, Dr. Shahadat Hossain, spoke about the ongoing efforts to erase historical memories by the authorities and stressed that the July Revolution, like previous struggles such as the Language Movement of 1952 and the Liberation War of 1971, was fundamentally a fight against inequality and oppressive power. He called for the continued battle against the forces that sought to suppress these memories.
The exhibition is part of a larger initiative to preserve the history of the anti-inequality student movements. As part of this project, organizers are developing an international-level visual film, a photographic archive book, and an informative website. The project also includes a documentary based on the July Revolution, which is being produced in collaboration with international streaming platform Netflix.
Project Director Minhaj Uddin explained that this exhibition is one of many planned throughout the year across various campuses to keep the memory of the 2018 revolution alive. The ‘Art of Democracy, Unity – A Journey of Unity’ project aims to highlight the ongoing battle against authoritarianism, using visual art and media to keep the struggle’s memory vivid for future generations.
The exhibition will remain open until Saturday, and discussions about future activism and preserving the history of the movement continue to inspire those involved, including many of the students who participated in the 2024 July Revolution.
