Threats to Shahidul Alam PDF
Written by Rezaur Rahman   

26th March morning at Drik.
Conversation between young man and guard as narrated by guard.


Young man: Egulo ki? Egulo ki hochche ekhane

BD: What are these? Whats going on here?

Guard: egulo prodorshoni hochche ekhane

BD: It’s an exhibition going on here.

YM: ki nam etar kin am. Oi eta ki korse. Ki korse eguli. Korse ke. Ki nam tui bol tui bol.

BD: what’s its name? Oi, whats this? Whats all these? Who has done it? Whats the name, you tell me.

G: etar nam crossfire bhaiya. Apni janen na…

BD: It’s name is CROSSFIRE brother. Don’t you know…

YM: oi e korse ke, korse ke. Ke. Ke. Shohidul alom? Shohidul alom korse. Oi o thake kon jaigai.

BD: Oi, who has done that, who, who – Shohidul Alom? Shohidul Alam has done it. Where does he live?

G: bhaiya ami gate er security. Ami ki kore bolbo. She ki kore na kore. Kothai thake. Ami egulo kichu jani na bhaiya.

BD: Brother, I’m the gate security. How am I supposed to know these– what he does or doesn’t - where he lives? I don’t know anything brother.

YM: ei or ki morar bhoi nai? Or ki morar bhoi nai akdom i? ei or bou polapan nai? Meye chele meye nai? Ei bol nai nai?

BD: oi, doesn’t he fear of death? Doesn’t he fear of death at all? Oi, doesn’t he have a family? Doesn’t he have any children? Oi, tell me?

G: bhai apni ato uttejoto hochchen kano? Amar moton bhodro bhabe kotha bolben apni. Bhodro shore kotha bolben. Eta obhodror jaiga na. apni jebhabe kotha bolchen ebhabe kotha bola hochche na apnar.

BD: Brother, why are you getting so tensed? Talk to me in gentle manner as I’m doing. Talk to me in gentle tune. Its not a place for a indecent person. You can’t talk the way you’re talking.

YM: ei beshi bolish na.

BD: Oi, don’t talk too much.

G: kano? Ami ki beshi bollam? Apnar shathe ami ki bhabe kotha bolte chai ar apni amar shathe ki bhabe kotha bolchen?

BD: Why? Have I said a lot? How I am talking to you and how are you talking to me?

YM: tui bolish. Shohidul alom jokhon tokhon guli kheye morbe. Rastar upore tao

BD: You should tell – Shohidul Alom will dye any time by gun shot – on road too.

G: bhai apnar nam ta ki bolben please?

BD: Brother, will you tell me your name please?

YM: ei amar nam shune labh nai. Tobe mone rakhish. Mone rakhish bujhli?

BD: Oi, these are no need to know my name but do remember – remember, will you?

G: bhaiya please apnar nam ta bolen na bhaiya. Apni chole jachchen kano? Daran na bolen. Apnar nam ta ektu bolen. Apnar kotha ami bolbo take. Apnar nam ta bolen amake. Ami shamne bolbo.

BD: Brother, please let me know your name. Why are you leaving? Hold-on, tell me – tell me your name. I will let him know what you said. Tell me your name. I will tell in front…

YM: walks away:

G: bhaiya please apnar nam at bolen

BD: Brother please tell me your name

YM: tui bolish akta public ei kotha ta bolche.

BD: You tell him that a public told him that.

G: ji ami take bolbo

BD: yes, I will tell him that

 

 


 

 

27th March afternoon: transcription from video
(conversation in presence of police, between YM and SA unrecognized by YM)


YM: amra dekhte ashchi crossfire ta lagaise ke. Shontrashi mortase amra shantite baicha asi. Ami shontrashir guli te morte raji na. shontrashi amader ain srinkhola bahinir hate moruk. Ami ta dekhte raji asi. Jara ei shob kortese (pointing to billboard of exhibition), tara hoitase shobche boro shontrashi. Tader crossfire e tader mora uchit.

BD: We came to see who put the crossfire on. Terrorists are dyeing and we are living in peace. I don’t want to dye of a shot from a terrorist. Terrorists should dye from our law enforcement guards. I am ready to see that. Those who are doing that (pointing to billboard of exhibition), are the biggest terrorists. They should dye from their own crossfire.

Police: jara lagaise?

BD: Those who created?

YM: jara ei shob babostha korse. Shontrashi mortase ami shantite baicha asi. Aram e asi. Ami chaina amar ma amar bon amar bap re shontrashi ra maira pheluk. Bonre dhoira nia jak. Ami eita chai na. shontrashi re amra palte chai na.

BD: Those who prepared all these. Terrorists are dyeing and I’m living in peace. Living in peace. I don’t want terrorists kill my mother, my sister, my father. Kidnap my sister. I don’t want that. We don’t want to raise terrorists.

Police: apni bolte chaitasen crossfire e jara mara gase tara prokrito shontrashi.

BD: You want to tell those who died in crossfire are real terrorists.

YM: akta duita to mortei pare. Desh hoitase ato tuk. Lok hoise sholo koti shotero koti. Dui akta to erokom hobei. Hobe na?

BD: One or two must have died. Country is just about that(small). Population is 160 million. One or two must become like that – won’t they be?

SA (without disclosing his identity): apni ki prodorshoni ta dekhechen bhaiya. Apni dekhechen?

BD: (without disclosing his identity):are you watching this exhibition brother? Are you watching?

YM: amar dekhar ichcha nai.

BD: I don’t wish to watch it.

ENDS

 

 


 

 

29th march 2010

 

 

29th March 2010
Press Release

For Immediate Release

 

Photographer of 'Crossfire' exhibition threatened with ‘crossfire’.

 

A general diary (GD) was filed today by photographer Dr. Shahidul Alam at Dhanmondi Police Station, to register death threats placed upon the photographer.

 

Following the closure of the exhibition “Crossfire” depicting allegorical images depicting the extra judicial killings by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) that have been going on since 2004, an unknown youth came to Drik premises in the morning of the 27th March 2010 and wanted to know who this Shahidul Alam was. Whether he had a wife and family. Whether he had children. “Is he not scared for his life? Does he not have any fear at all?” the young man asked the guard. He refused to give his name, but told the guard to tell Alam that “He will meet his death in the streets, by bullets. Don’t forget to tell him.” When asked again for his name he said, “Tell him I’m a member of the public.”

 

The following day the man returned in the afternoon along with another young man, and in the presence of a large number of people, including police, said “It is the person who organised this exhibition who should be crossfired.”

 

The GD was filed with S.I. Anwarul Islam. GD NO: 1542/29TH March 2010. Earlier in the day, Drik Picture Library Ltd. Filed a write petition (No: 2543/29th March 2010) against the government demanding that the blockade of the exhibition “Crossfire” be removed.

 

Contact:

A S M Rezaur Rahman
General Manager
Drik Picture Library Ltd.

 


 

 

 

 
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