Artistes unite to honour martyrs of July uprising

Drissho Madhyam Shilpi Shomaj organised a day-long event yesterday titled "Koilza Kapano 36 Din", paying respect to the student-led uprising in Bangladesh that unfolded a year ago. The event took place at the Bangladesh National Museum.

The programme featured 13 film screenings, exhibitions of photography, posters, and theatre, along with live performances of music and poetry. A series of discussions reflected on the ongoing resistance and commemorated the lives lost during the movement.

The event was attended by families of the martyrs, along with a diverse gathering of educators, filmmakers, photographers, theatre practitioners, writers, musicians, actors, and cultural activists.

The inaugural programme kicked off with speeches by Shamsi Ara Zaman, mother of martyred journalist Tahir Zaman Priyo, and Sabrina Afroz Sabonti, sister of Shaheed Mahamudur Rahman Soikot.

Later, a special discussion programme was held, which was divided into two sessions. The first, titled "Tara ki phiribe aj shuprobhate. Joto torun orun gechhe osthachole", featured prominent cultural figures who played vital roles during the movement.

Participants included Shahidul Alam, renowned photographer and rights activist; Azmeri Haque Badhan, actress; Hasan Aether, musician; Taslima Akhter, photographer and political activist; Ritu Sattar, artist and filmmaker; Mushfiqur Rahman Manju, film producer; Krishnendu Chattopadhyay, filmmaker; and Edila Farid Turin, costume designer.

The final session featured another discussion titled "Koto biplobi bondhur rokte ranga. Bondishalar oi shikol bhanga." Participants included Samina Luthfa, theatre activist and educator; Shireen Parveen Huq, women's rights activist; Munem Wasif, artist and educator; Amirul Rajib, art historian and curator; Firoz Ahmed, writer and politician; Sajjad Sharif, poet and editor; and Salimullah Khan, writer, educator, and thinker.

The programme concluded with a vibrant cultural segment, featuring performances by cultural organisation Samageet, Kafil Ahmed, Warda Ashraf, Muiz Mahfuz, Hasan Aether (Highway), Deepak Suman, Sina Hasan (Bangla Five), Akil Ashraf (Pseudos on a Wrong Route), Upoma, Nizam Rabby, Sharif, and Teerondaz.