A six-day public exhibition titled ‘Bidrupe Bidroho’ (The Power of Satire) got underway at the Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) on Thursday evening, attracting a large and enthusiastic crowd on its opening day.
Organized by the renowned satire platform Earki, the exhibition commemorates the first anniversary of the 36-day mass uprising of July 2024, exploring satire as a powerful tool of political resistance.
Scheduled from July 31 to August 5, the exhibition revisits the creative expressions that shaped the 2024 movement, where citizens demanding justice and democracy turned to humor and wit as forms of defiance. From cartoons, memes, and graffiti to protest songs, poetry, and video installations, satire became a bold medium for voicing dissent against political oppression.
Earki’s ‘Bidrupe Bidroho’ brings together these striking expressions of protest, offering a curated archive of satirical artworks, viral social media content, and street visuals that captured the public imagination during a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s recent history.
The exhibition also includes live performances such as the provocative stage act Drama Queen (Naatok Kom Koro Piyo), along with protest song and poetry readings, immersive video installations, and interactive sessions encouraging visitor participation.
“Satire has always been a weapon of the marginalized—a way to laugh at power and expose its absurdities,” Earki team member and renowned food vlogger Syed Khaled Saifullah told UNB. “During those unforgettable days of July last year, many of us used satires and memes to express our solidarity against the oppressors, and this exhibition is a tribute to those who dared to speak truth with courage and cleverness, even in the darkest times.”
"Back in August, 2024, we held a cartoon exhibition at Drik titled 'Cartoon E Bidroho' where we showcased a number of cartoon and caricature artworks of talented artists, on the July Revolution. Throughout the entire period of resistance, we were served with lies from the previous regime including the escapist Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the entire nation protested with memes, statuses and many other satirical elements on social media platforms - and through 'Bidrupe Bidroho', we are paying our respect to those as a tribute," according to Earki Editor and Founder Simu Naser.
The inaugural event also featured songs from Warda Ashraf and Khayam Sanu Sandhi.
Open to the public daily from 3 to 8 pm, the exhibition aims to be both a platform for remembrance and a space for dialogue—reflecting the role of satire in political life and the enduring spirit of creative resistance.
