A miniature photography exhibition is going on at the capital’s Hatirjheel, a connecting road built on top of a water-body for easier en-route of people living near Tejgaon, Gulshan, Badda, Rampura, Mouchak and Maghbazar. The exhibition is Zaid Islam’s way of showing the change and update of the landscape since the work of the project started in 2008. He expresses his feeling of losing something when a Krishnochura tree was being bulldozed to the ground in order to make life easier for the city dwellers.
About his exhibition, Zaid Islam said: “One morning I was looking out of my window when I saw that the Krishnochura tree I used to look at, was being bulldozed as the work of the Hatirjheel project started. I felt helpless and as loss at it was a common and soothing sight for me. Afterwards, I noticed a group of children running towards the tree and I also joined them with my camera. I wanted to capture the moment, the children’s reaction to the destruction of something that was familiar to them. I felt a connection with the lot and a similar kind of stirring within myself, but at that time I could not identify it for what it was.
“They touched the branches, the leaves, and the bright flowers. Then they started collecting parts of the tree. I ran down to join them. I too wanted to bring back the last flower of this tree that I have known for years, I grew up seeing it from a distance.”
The exhibition opened on March 28 and will conclude today. After six years, Zaid found the group of children who are teenagers now and inaugurated the exhibition with them.