Shortly after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August, Dhaka was quickly covered in vibrant paintings coordinated by the very students responsible for overthrowing her regime.
The murals themselves are radiant and artistic expressions of the students' struggle to liberate the country and their aspirations for a new Bangladesh after years of authoritarian governance, and Dhaka’s walls now serve as a graphic reminder of the violence and meaning of the uprising.
Examples of political expression in such artwork can be found all over the world and across history: from Banksy’s migration-related graffiti in the UK to murals of a war-torn world on the Berlin Wall and African-American depictions of hip-hop culture in late 20th-century New York.
But these murals around Dhaka have their own unique symbolism and message – most depict the losses suffered and sacrifices made by students in bringing down Hasina’s government.
Other murals use symbolism to depict a new dawn for Bangladesh and a new political era for the country.
Fictional characters that represent liberation and justice also make regular appearances.
I spoke with Khadija Chowdhury Safa, a student at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, whose students were responsible for many of the paintings.
“Many students were not able to participate in the movement on the frontline because they were promoting our message online and to international media. So those of us who were not on the streets during the uprising wanted to participate in some form after Sheikh Hasina resigned.
“We decided we would paint murals on the streets to honor the students who marched, and tell future generations about the uprising,” Khadija, who oversaw one of several teams unofficially coordinated by a university club to paint murals, explained their motivation for painting the walls of Dhaka.
She said students monitored the murals regularly and planned to keep them clean so they lasted as long as possible, both as a message to future generations and Bangladesh’s political leaders.
“The whole motivation for us to do paintings around Dhaka was to send a message to whatever government is next, that we made this happen – and we can do it again. We are not to be messed with.”
