The High Court declared today that the provocative Crossfire Exhibition must be allowed to reopen. Eight days after the politically charged exhibition was shut down by the police deployed to the Drik Gallery, the High Curts decision now compels the police to withdraw, thereby removing all obstruction to the conduct and proceedings of the exhibition.
Artist, photojournalist and managing director of the Drik Gallery, Shahidul Alam’s own words, quoted by the Times Len’s blog, suggest the import of the court upholding the show against the governments interdiction.
“This is a victory on many fronts. The right of Bangladeshi people to be informed, the rights of artists and media professionals to speak out, and the citizens’ right to protest against injustice, are all important factors, but the fact that the judiciary can stand up to the government gives renewed hope to a people fighting to establish the rule of law. It happened because the nation was united in protest, and that protest against all forms of injustice must continue.”
But the story reverberates further. Mr. Alam alleges that crossfire killings have increased since the Awami League government came into office in December 2008.
The Daily Star piece quotes Mr. Alam:
“Though the government pledged to stop crossfire before and after the elections, it is still occurring which is a matter of worry,” Alam said. He alleged the events of “crossfire” occurring in 2009 are higher than what happened during the army-backed caretaker government in 2008.
“When the exhibition could create such reaction only because of having the name ‘crossfire’, the meaning of the word comes clear.”
If shown to be true, this news could prove to be hauntingly troublesome for it would be a sign that nothing significant has changed in Bangladesh’s politics, and it could signal, through spill-overs effects, significantly deteriorating conditions of individual and social freedoms.