Voice of protest resonates on Shaheed Dibosh

On the historic day commemorating the Language Movement, voices demanding justice, democracy and accountability echoed through the exhibition titled Alo, organised at the fire-damaged building of Prothom Alo in Dhaka.

On Saturday, marking Shaheed Dibosh and International Mother Language Day, a large number of visitors attended artist Mahbubur Rahman’s exhibition. Many among them were young people; several had come directly after paying tribute at the Central Shaheed Minar. Parents also brought their children.

Visitors voiced strong condemnation of what they described as a heinous attack by extremists on the media house and demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice.

The exhibition began on 18 February and will continue until 28 February. It is open daily from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

In the afternoon, professor Anu Muhammad, a member of the Ganatantrik Odhikar Committee, visited the exhibition and said such a horrific incident could not have occurred spontaneously.

“It is clearly a well-planned attack,” he said. “They burned books, which shows their hatred toward knowledge and creativity. They tried to suppress freedom of expression. The attack went on for a long time, yet the government and police remained inactive. The reasons behind this must be uncovered.”

Rights activist and chief coordinator of Nijera Kori, Khushi Kabir, said an attack on a leading media outlet is unwarranted. “It is very clear that Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were targeted in advance,” she said.

Dhaka University associate professor Moshahida Sultana said the exhibition is significant because the artist has portrayed resilience emerging from destruction.

Shampa Das, a teacher at Mohammadpur Preparatory School and College, said she was deeply distressed after seeing the interior of the damaged building. “How come people can be so brutal!” she remarked, adding that the attack contradicts the spirit of democratic change.

Two Dhaka University accounting department students, Tirtha Dey and Padma Das, said the smell of burning still lingered inside. “It felt suffocating. This brutality is unimaginable,” they said.

European Union development cooperation official Edwin Koekkoek visited with National Power Grid official Adil Chawdhury and electrical engineer Jana Alam. Koekkoek described the exhibition as “excellent” and of international standard.

Businessman Mizanur Rahman came from Gulshan with his fourth-grade daughter Samaira Rasha. “Those who want to push Bangladesh into darkness are responsible for this,” he said. “I brought my daughter so that she can see the frightening face of such forces.”

Publisher Shahab Uddin Hasan of Swadhin Prokashon in Chattogram said the younger generation needs to witness the painful reality presented in the exhibition.

Social worker Khalilur Rahman Khan, visiting from Barishal, recalled buying books from the ground floor of the building many times. He demanded exemplary punishment for the attackers in the interest of peace and stability.

Artist Goutam Chakraborty, head of Galleri Kaya, also visited. Deputy commissioner of Tejgaon Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Md. Ibne Mizan, said those responsible for the destruction have set a disgraceful example, and the exhibition powerfully reflects the devastation.

A group of students from the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) visited as part of an academic assignment. One of them, Nure Subah, said such destruction occurs when people lose their humanity.

“Through this exhibition, Prothom Alo has delivered a message that light can never be silenced by fire,” she said.

Writer and researcher Asif Munier, son of martyred intellectual Munier Choudhury, said those who tried to silence Prothom Alo should understand that the media cannot be suppressed.

Tanvir Haider Chaudhury, CEO of Kazi Food Industries Limited and son of martyred intellectual Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury, said the attack appeared highly coordinated.

“The way they turned such a large building into rubble within moments is a warning sign for the country’s democracy,” he remarked.