Highlights
- Photographer Shahidul Alam warns government over public dissatisfaction
- Statement made during protest against attack on filmmaker Golap Shah
- Allegations of organized attack inside a government office
- Questions raised over missing CCTV footage
- Protesters demand legal action, arrests, and justice
Renowned photographer Shahidul Alam has said that if the current government fails to meet public expectations, people may remove it just like previous governments. Speaking at a press conference, he addressed the government directly:
“আমরা ভিন্ন জিনিস আশা করি আপনাদের থেকে। আপনারা ভিন্ন কথা বলেছেন বলে জনগণ আপনাদের ভোট দিয়েছে, কিন্তু জনগণের সাথে প্রতারণা করবেন না। আপনারা যেটা বলে এসেছেন, সেটাকে আমরা বিশ্বাস করি বলেই আপনাদের আমরা সুযোগটা দিয়েছি। সেই জায়গায় আপনারা থাকতে চেষ্টা করেন। যদি সেটা আপনারা না পারেন, এর আগের এত ক্ষমতাশালী সরকারকে যখন হটানো গেছে, এই সরকারকেও হাটানো সম্ভব।”
Translation: We expect something different from you. People voted for you because of your promises, so do not betray them. We trusted you and gave you a chance. Try to stay true to that. If you fail, just like a powerful government was removed before, this one can also be removed.
Read More: Government Approves Electric Bus Import to Reduce Private Car Use and Traffic
Protest Over Attack on Filmmakers
He made these remarks on Friday (April 3) at the National Press Club in Dhaka during a press conference protesting an attack on filmmaker Golap Shah and others. The attack reportedly took place on March 30 at the Department of Films and Publications (DFP), where several individuals including human rights activist Mushfiqur Rahman Johan and filmmakers were assaulted.
Shahidul Alam described the incident as serious and alarming:
“এটা একটা ছোটখাটো ঘটনা নয়। এটা পরিষ্কারভাবে শিল্পীদের ওপরে সরকারি অফিসের ভেতরে আক্রমণ হয়েছে। এটার তাৎপর্য আমাদের বুঝতে হবে। এটা যদি হতে পারে, তাহলে দেশটা কোথায়, দেশ কারা চালাচ্ছে, কীভাবে চালাচ্ছে সেই প্রশ্নগুলো করতে হবে। এটা হঠাৎ করে হয়নি, সংঘবদ্ধভাবে হয়েছে, পরিকল্পিতভাবে হয়েছে।”
Translation: This is not a minor incident. It is clearly an attack on artists inside a government office. We must understand its significance. If this can happen, we must question where the country stands and who is running it. This was not sudden—it was organized and planned.
Questions Over Missing CCTV Footage
He also questioned how CCTV footage from a government institution could disappear:
“সিসিটিভি ফুটেজ হারিয়ে গেলে তার জন্য আইন অনুযায়ী ব্যবস্থা নেওয়ার কথা। কিন্তু আমরা দেখিনি সেই ধরনের কোনো ব্যবস্থা হয়েছে। কতটা ক্ষমতা থাকলে একটি প্রতিষ্ঠানের সিসিটিভি ফুটেজ উধাও করে দেওয়া যায়—এই প্রশ্ন আমাদের করতে হবে।”
Translation: If CCTV footage is lost, legal action should be taken. But we have not seen that. We must ask how powerful someone must be to make such footage disappear.
Victim Describes the Attack
Filmmaker Golap Shah shared his experience, saying they went to collect pending payments for a documentary. During discussions, an official behaved badly, and later outsiders were brought in to attack them.
Six Demands Raised at Press Conference
At the press conference, speakers presented six demands, including:
- Dismissal and legal action against those involved
- Arrest of attackers
- Recovery of CCTV footage
- Treatment and compensation for victims
- Ensuring safety of cultural workers
- Preventing financial irregularities in government-funded film projects
More Voices Join the Protest
Other speakers included researcher and human rights activist Rezaur Rahman (Lenin), artist Ritu Sattar, and filmmaker Jahin Faruk Amin. They all emphasized the need for justice and accountability.
Source: Prothom Alo
