Braving heavy rain and police obstruction, artists from various visual media gathered in Farmgate to show their unwavering support for the ongoing student movement in the country. Initially planning to assemble on Manik Mia Avenue in front of the National Parliament at 11 am on Thursday, the artists were redirected to the front of Ananda Cinema Hall in Farmgate after police halted them at the Khamarbari intersection at around 10:45 am.
Despite the adverse weather conditions, which saw heavy rain beginning precisely at 11 am, the artists remained resolute. They held banners and posters, chanting slogans that condemned the killings, demanded justice, called for an end to mass arrests, and criticized the government’s actions, even singing protest songs to amplify their message.
Leading figures from the artistic community, including filmmakers, crew members, and cultural activists, delivered passionate speeches condemning the government’s actions and expressing solidarity with the nine-point demands of the students. Their unified call was for justice for the murders and an end to the killings that have marred the country recently.
Among the notable cultural activists present were Mamunur Rashid, Mosharraf Karim, Azmeri Haque Badhon, Sabila Noor, Ashfaq Nipun, Nurul Alam Atique, Amitabh Reza, Piplu R Khan, Shibu Kumar Shil, Redoan Rony, Zakia Bari Mamo, Sohel Mondol, and Siam Ahmed, among others. Their presence and vocal support underscored the broad-based discontent within the creative community regarding the government’s handling of the student movement.
A significant aspect of the protest was the artists’ emphasis on the constitutional rights of justice, equality, and human dignity, which they believe are being undermined by the government’s brutal suppression of the students’ movement. One artist poignantly remarked, “The promise of justice, equality, and human dignity with which the independent Bangladesh emerged through the great Liberation War is our constitutional right as citizens of Bangladesh. It is with this right in mind that we felt the need to stand on the streets.”
The protest in Farmgate, which saw a significant police presence but no further obstruction, resonated with many and highlighted the artists’ determination to support the students’ rightful movement. Workers from various branches of visual media, including film, photography, theatre, and journalism, came together to demand justice for all murders, an end to shootings and violence, the cessation of mass arrests and harassment, and the release of detained students.
