VNS students express outrage

Two students stand before posters, created by some 800 class VII and VIII students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College to express outrage at the recent attack on the Buddhist community in Cox' Bazar and Chittagong, at an exhibition on the institution's Baily Road campus.Photo: STAR

Some 800 Viqarunnisa Noon School and College students yesterday creatively expressed their outrage at the recent attack on the Buddhist community in Cox' Bazar and Chittagong through a poster exhibition.
The exhibition, organised in the educational institution's Baily Road campus, showcased 45 unique posters depicting the attack and destruction through newspaper clippings, images of destroyed artefacts, text bubbles, handwritten captions and creative artwork.
Class VII and VIII students created the posters portraying the atrocity.
The school's social science teacher, Sangeeta Imam, said the education ministry had directed schools to conduct seminars against militancy.
However, seminars were not always the most effective way to engage young minds in complex national matters, said Sangeeta, the exhibition's organiser.
The students needed to be actively involved in the learning process. “That is why I asked the students to come up with posters to express their reaction about the attacks in Ramu,” she said.
Two class VII students, Mrittika Haq and Nidhi Chowdhury, created a poster with evocative messages amidst a black background to symbolise the burnt Buddhist temples and monasteries.
“The red drops signify the wounds in the nation's heart,” they said.
Some of the students gave speeches describing their feelings and the exhibition. All of them expressed their shock and disgust at the attack, stating that they dreamt of creating a Bangladesh free from religious intolerance and bigotry.
“Today's children will create a secular Bangladesh tomorrow. That is why it is crucial to prepare them and teach them the dangers of militancy,” said Sangeeta.