Four months have handed for the explanation that July revolution, yet someone interesting all over Dhaka can calm feel the echo of that time via the graffiti on its partitions.
These pieces of mumble art work are more than mere drawings; they’re uncooked expressions of a folks united by hope, despair, and a collective quiz for justice.
But for individuals that presumably watched from the sidelines, getting an replace from social media each now and then, the reports in the succor of the graffiti would possibly well additionally fair no longer withhold so powerful significance.
In a demonstration of dwelling this kind of sheltered, charmed existence, Bangladeshi actress Mehazabien Chowdhury visited the Dhaka College’s TSC field the day prior to this (18 December) as segment of the promotional campaign for her upcoming film.
All around the campaign, she used to be seen placing up posters for the film.
With smiles for cameras, she build up a poster covering the very visible graffiti devoted to Sohagi Jahan Tonu, a rape and assassinate victim from 2016.
Tonu’s assassinate and the events that followed had left the total nation in shock as it uncovered the enduring screw ups of our judiciary machine – but this shock failed to spice up to all individuals.
When folks noticed the Dwell video of Mehazabien’s action, it sparked an rapid outrage on social media.
Americans accused the actress of insensitivity, with some alleging it used to be a deliberate publicity stunt.
Some Facebook posts beneficial that since many individuals were blind to her movie, this might maybe need been an are attempting to generate detrimental publicity and spark dialog.
Rifat Rashid, coordinator of the anti-discrimination pupil movement, demanded an apology as neatly in a Facebook put up.
An apology did follow.
Later that evening, Mehazabien visited TSC again and personally took down the movie poster that had been positioned over the graffiti on the wall.
She additionally wrote an apology on her social media and acknowledged, “For the promotion of the film Priyo Maloti, our team visited TSC this present day. Many individuals joined us in supporting the campaign, but due to the overwhelming crowd and unavoidable circumstances, we needed to wrap up the postering campaign lickety-split. Unfortunately, amidst the unintended mismanagement, a poster used to be mistakenly positioned over the graffiti of the slack Sohagi Jahan Tonu.”
Whereas the apology acknowledges the error, it raises a troubling question: how would possibly well additionally such an oversight occur with a total PR team, media personnel, and fans existing?
All all over again, it would possibly well additionally fair calm be illustrious how visible the graffiti used to be. Mehazabien would possibly well additionally even be seen taking a gape on the graffiti earlier than placing up the poster.
How can so many individuals involved manufacture the identical ignorant mistake?
The importance of the incident is presumably unclear to some, however the phrases “rape” and “assassinate” were clearly visible on the graffiti.
Even with the exception of for that, the significance of our graffitis can not be misplaced on someone who lives in the country, especially put up-July.
In a country that has no longer too prolonged in the past witnessed such an insurrection and persevered years of inhumane violence, how can one’s core live unmoved by this?
In her put up, she additionally wrote, “We’re all attentive to Tonu’s tragic story and the continuing battle for justice in her case. What came about regarding the postering used to be an completely inadvertent mistake. We straight away removed those posters and noticed a second of silence to pay our respects”
She added, “Our film, our team, and our war are rooted in the battle for justice, and this comes from the depths of our hearts. We sincerely hope it is possible you’ll well inspect this unintended error with forgiveness. Thanks for your total enhance.”
If a team is really “rooted” in the battle for justice, how can it be so blind or act so thoughtlessly in covering up the graffiti of a rape and assassinate victim?
Promotional campaigns are deliberate events, and rushing to create the poster campaign on public property would possibly well additionally fair calm reach with its own region of complications.
These partitions of TSC listing the unfulfilled dreams, systemic screw ups, and the resilience of a nation’s folks. Covering such art work with a promotional poster is no longer entirely a logistical error; it be a cultural offence.
And an apology doesn’t erase the preliminary injury.
If something else this paints a deeper image of our society the set aside money-making pursuits all over again trump folks’s emotions.
