Writers, artists and academics said on Saturday that the far-right hegemony made the student-led mass uprising a passive revolution.
They also said that artists must search for a way to express their thoughts. The uprising graffiti on the walls wrote what society desired, but the interim government failed to read them, they deplored.
They made the remarks at a discussion titled Bangladeshe Shilper Noya Noya Ponthar Totto-Talash 鈥� Search for new avenues of arts in Bangladesh.
The discussion was organised by theatre troupe Spardha as part of its ongoing festival 鈥楿tsabe Spardha: Bidroher Chetanaye Din Pratidin鈥� at Spardha Atelier in Banani of the capital.聽
Artist and environmentalist Arup Rahee, writer and researcher Altaf Parvez, Dhaka University assistant professor of dance department Agnes Rachel Perris, writer and theatre activist Ruma Modak, artist and art critic Mustafa Zaman, poet and art critic Shakhawat Tipu and theatre personality and academician Syed Jamil Ahmed spoke at the event.
It was moderated and the welcome speech delivered by DU theatre and performance studies department associate professor Shahman Moishan.
Shahman Moishan said that the ousted authoritarian Awami League regime established a monolithic narrative, but the new political situation created new tensions and anxiety after the mass uprising.聽
Arup Rahee said that Bangladesh was a post-colonial resistance state who gained independence two times. But post-colonial capitalism prevented to achieve liberal democratic atmosphere in the country, he observed.聽
鈥楽ecularism is in deep crisis across the world and a religious project is developing against secularism in the country in the last two decades which we need to identify,鈥� Rahee said, adding that a new cultural politics created a situation which affects the form of performances and arts.
Altaf Parvez said that the uprising was against discriminations, but after the uprising there were no steps to reduce discrimination from society and state. Rather, attacks on labourers, women, national minorities, religious minorities, shrines and freedom fighters increased.
He also said that the south Asian people were passing a crucial time where far-right hegemony promotes cultural war instead of distribution and class-consciousness.
Mustafa Zaman said that both virtual and street walls depict the manifesto of the uprising and created new motifs, but the post-uprising situation dwarfed the people鈥檚 desire.
Shakhawat Tipu said that people were united during the fascist regime, but, after the uprising, the unity as well as the administration broke down creating many unexpected situations.聽
Syed Jamil Ahmed said that if people vote for some group, we must respect the people鈥檚 decision in a democratic country.
鈥楧uring the fascist regime, artists worked to establish the Awami League narrative, but there was neither self-criticism nor any work to convince the people,鈥� said Jamil Ahmed.