Government RAB Censorship of Photography Show Draws Protests from Lawyers and Students

The government’s actions in shutting down the Drik Gallery show on the Rapid Action Battalion’s Crossfire killings was provocative.  I’m quite certain, though that the move was not meant to provoke student protests and legal action against the sitting government.  Indeed, the New York Times Len’s blog, where the news of the photographic exhibition was written up has published an update on the case.

The case is as follows, according to bdnew24.com:

“Shahidul Alam, the photographer and Drik’s managing director, told bdnews24.com just before the police blocked the entrance to the building entrance that he had received a call earlier in the afternoon from RAB’s media department. “

“RAB reportedly told him that the gallery required permission from the police before holding the exhibition on crossfire. “I told him that I could not see why I needed permission,” said Shahidul.’

“We’ve been operating since 1993 and it has never been required of us to have specific permission for a particular exhibition. Were all the exhibitions we hosted illegal then?” 

‘”The police then came to our office and said that we must stop the exhibition to avoid causing ‘unrest in the country’,” said the photographer. ”

“He quoted Dhanmondi police chief Shah Alam as saying “legal action” would be taken if the show was not shut down.”

“Shahidul Alam said he asked the police chief about whether he had the warrant needed for closing the building. The police officer reportedly replied that he did not need one.”

“When contacted, Shah Alam told bdnews24.com that he ordered Drik to close down the exhibition as it had not obtained permission from the Special Branch of police as required by law.” 

Shadin Malik, the director of the Law program at Brac University is quoted by bdnews24.com, as saying: 

“Since it was without any prior legal notice, it will clearly be a violation of fundamental rights of the freedom of expression and of association to close down the exhibition,”

The Len’s blog piece discusses the broader ramifications of the governments action:

…”instead of stifling public debate, the government’s action has had the opposite effect: art students have formed a human chain at the university and lawyers are preparing to bring legal action to reopen the show.

“It really has galvanized public opinion,” Mr. Alam said in a telephone interview on Tuesday from southern Bangladesh. “People were angry and ready — they just needed a catalyst. The exhibit has become in a sense iconic of the resistance.”

The Lens blog quoted at length Mr. Alam statement following the police action:

‘The forcible closure of Drik’s premises is a blatant violation of our constitutional rights,” Mr. Alam said in a statement. “We call upon the government to immediately remove the police encirclement, so that the exhibition can be opened for public viewing, and Bangladesh’s image as an independent democratic nation can be reinstated.”

Shahidul Alam’s words are strong and they speak to a current of thought that might turn into a cascade if the government does not rein itself in by committing itself to the sincere protection of free political speech and non-censorious attendance to assembly.