Brave Daughters of July: Honouring the women of the uprising

Strolling through Chitrashala at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy the other day, I found myself in front of a glass box. The box contained a set of bangles, necklaces, eyeshadow, a school uniform, a diary, an ID card, and a bloodied T-shirt. 

The diary was open to a page from 2021. The handwriting in the entry is clear, precise, and even colourful. Written on the page are the words, "I have many dreams." 

The diary and shirt belonged to Naima Sultana, and the rest of the memorabilia belonged to Nafisa Hossain Marwa and Meherunnessa, all of whom were killed during the July uprising. 

These keepsakes are part of the exhibition, 'Brave Daughters of July' at Shilpakala. The exhibition, made up of photos, posters, interviews and news reports, graffiti, clippings of social media posts, and more, aims to highlight the bravery and contributions of women during the July uprising. 

The exhibition, which was organised by the July Revolutionary Alliance and Private University National Association of Bangladesh (Punab), came to life through the joint efforts of its organisers. It is open to the public till 28 February.

Rather than solely adopting a documentary style with interviews and protest photographs, the exhibition blends art and documentary by incorporating graffiti and posters alongside these elements.

The use of mixed media resulted in an exhibition that successfully aligned with their goal, putting a spotlight on women's participation and strength during the July uprising. 

A clipping of a Facebook post from Tarin Rodshi shows a picture of the girl with a bandaged eye as a result of a rubber bullet. A photo takes up a large part of the wall, showing the anger of Nusrat Jahan, the girl who blocked a police prison van, and later became a symbol of the student movement.

"We want to highlight women's involvement in the uprising which, we believe, has been grossly overlooked.  We also want to encourage more women to join the reformation efforts, that is why we launched this event," shared Fantasir Mahmud, Spokesperson from the July Revolutionary Alliance.

Raya Wasifa, a Central Executive Member of the July Revolutionary Alliance, had personally connected with the families of the martyrs and listened to their stories, bringing back the keepsakes of the deceased for the exhibition. According to Wasifa, it is important that we do not lose the contributions of the martyrs, hence it is important to document everything. 

Two rounds through the exhibition bring you face-to-face with the forgotten courage of the women of the July Uprising, demanding the recognition they deserve.