DOT Desk: A seven-day group photography exhibition titled ‘flash on Rohingya genocide’, that gives the viewers a glimpse of the harrowing experiences faced by the Rohingyas at the hands of the Myanmar’s military, commenced at National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Thursday, reports New Age.
The exhibition features 60 photographs by four local photographers namely Mahmud Hossain Opu, Suman Paul, KM Asad and Salahuddin Ahmed along with 60 collected photographs by local and international photographers. The exhibition has been jointly organised by daily Bhorer Kagoj, Bangladesh Pragatishil Columnist Forum and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. More than 7,00,000 Rohingyas, mostly women, children and aged people, have entered Bangladesh after fleeing unbridled murder, arson and rape during the security ‘security operations’ by the Myanmar military in Rakhine beginning from August 25, 2017, what the United Nations denounced as ethnic cleansing and genocide.

The on-going Rohingya influx has taken the number of undocumented Myanmar nationals and registered refugees from that country in Bangladesh to about 11,16,000, according to estimates by UN agencies and Bangladesh foreign ministry.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen inaugurated the exhibition as the chief guest.

Jagannath University vicechancellor Mizanur Rahman was present as the special guest at the inaugural ceremony, presided over by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy director general Liaquat Ali Lucky.

‘These photographs portray genocide against the Rohingyas in Myanmar. Myanmar is not our enemy. We always try to keep our relations good with our neighbours. We are working to send back the displaced Rohingya people to their homes in Myanmar. I urge filmmakers to make films on Rohingyas,’ said AK Abdul Momen.

To mention a few photographs, an untitled photograph by Mahmud Hossain Opu shows a Rohingya woman, holding her baby, crying in the rain. A photograph by Suman Paul shows a trawler packed with Rohingyas fleeing violence in Myanmar.

One of KM Asad’s photographs titled Her Only Weapons were Her Tear shows a teenage girl, holding a tree, crying. The background shows scores of Rohingyas sitting on the ground.

A capture by Salahuddin Ahmed shows a boat packed with Rohingyas struggling in the sea.

The exhibition will end on January 8.