Artist-critic Mustafa Zaman said that after years of repression, the July uprising occurred and it can happen again in the future if the state cannot acknowledge people’s desires which articulated through graffiti during and after the student-led mass uprising in 2024.

He also said that at the first anniversary celebration of the interim government, many slogans were lost as the uprising faded.

He made the remark at a lecture session titled ‘Retrieving the Rhythm of the July Uprising’ held at the Joyeeta Foundation of Dhanmondi in Dhaka on Tuesday.

The event is a part of the 11th Chobi Mela, an international photography festival jointly organised by Drik Picture Library and Pathshala South Asian Media Institute.

People poured out their suppressed and traumatized expressions during the bloody protest, as depicted in the graffiti, and these expressions captured the language of the masses through texts, images, rap songs and slogans, he said.

The graffiti were inclusive, they addressed all the issues of the people of the land and became a counter memorial for them, he said, adding that ‘Issues ranging from the hill tracts to the plains – the incident of Kalpana Chakma, who was allegedly abducted from her home at Baghaichhari on June 12, 1996, just hours before the seventh national election – have been featured in the graffiti.’

He also said that many artists and activists played a vital role in organising the protest, while artist Debashis Chakraborty’s posters inspired the graffiti.

‘Participation of women vanished from the scene of the uprising after political parties claimed ownership of it,’ he said, adding that in search of democracy, the nation found mobocracy.

The 25th anniversary of Chobi Mela features nine exhibitions by58 artists from 18 countries across five continents under the theme ‘Re’, it also includes a four-day evening programme featuring artist talks, panel discussions, lectures and film screenings at the Joyeeta Foundation.

The 16-day long festival will end on January 31.