Visual artists organised a programme titled Bhoyhin- Nejjya- Manobik Morjadar Bangladesh Chai in front of Ananda Cinema Hall near Farmgate to declare solidarity with the students’ nine-point demand in the ongoing anti-quota student movement on Thursday morning.
They also protested the deaths of students, wholesale arrest and harassment, and demanded justice for students under the banner Drishyamaddhom Shilpisomaj.
They planned to stand in front of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban but police did not permit it due to the prime minister’s programme at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh.
Cultural activist Mamunur Rashid, photographer and rights activist Shahidul Alam, filmmakers Akram Khan, Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, Nurul Alam Atique, Ashfaq Nipun, Piplu R Khan, photographer-activist Taslima Akhter, curators Tanzim Wahab and Shehzad Chowdhury, actors Mosharraf Karim, Iresh Zaker, Siam Ahmed, actresses Azmeri Haque Badhon, Rafiath Rashid Mithila, theatre activist Deepak Suman and music directors and writers Tanveer Tarek, Shibu Kumar Shill, Amirul Rajiv, among others, participated in the protest.
‘We express solidarity with the demand of students’ nine-points and demand cancellation of remands, release of detained students, and justice for students who were killed for this movement. We also demand that the government stop neglecting student needs and discuss with them options because they are not enemies but the future of the country,’ said Ashfaq Nipun.
‘After the anti-dictatorship movement against General Ershad, cultural activists usually were not involved in any logical mass-movement but after the massive killing at ongoing student movement there is no way to neglect this issue,’ said Nurul Alam Atique.
‘In this bloody situation we cannot sit at home because we don’t want to see the blood. We want peace. We demand to the government please stop all tortures, firing and killing against students,’ said Mosharraf Karim.
Filmmaker Akram Khan said they will be running activities with other organizations to support the students’ nine-point demands and justice for students.
‘We will participate today in Creating Resistance Art organized by Gonohotta O Nipiron Birodhi Shilpo Somaj at Dhanmondi. We also declare another event of ours on Saturday,’ said Akram Khan.
Sammilita Sangskritik Jote also organised a human chain at Shahbagh in the evening, demanding a speedy trial of all murders that took place during the quota reforms movement.
They said that the government could not avoid the responsibility for this cruel situation and it should have dealt with the issues efficiently.
Jote president Ghulam Quddus presided over the event.
