[Reader-list] Photographer Shahidul Alam of “Crossfire” exhibition threatened with ‘crossfire’

[Jose-Carlos Mariategui]

dear Collegues:


As many of you are aware the exhibition  "Crossfire" with photographs of Shahidul Alam and curated by Jorge Villacorta is sadly is still closed and the police are still surrounding Drik. There is a somewhat more alarming situation as Drik have now been receiving death threats. The last threat was made in front of a large group of people including the police. We are including the press release of Drik in the hope that it circulates in the hope it pressures the government of Bangladesh in order to take action against these threats.


Press Release
For Immediate Release
29th March 2010



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.

reza at drik.net, +8801819226294