A five-day exhibition of photographs depicting life and struggle of ethnic minority Hajong by photographer, journalist and theatre activist Mohammd Asadurjaman Aslam Molla began at the Alliance Francaise de Dhaka at Dhanmondi in the capital Dhaka on Friday.
The inaugural ceremony of the exhibition titled ‘Hajong’ was held at the exhibition venue on the day, which was joined by New Age editor Nurul Kabir and Alliance Francaise de Dhaka director Francois Grosjean.
Nurul Kabir said that it was important to make people familiar with different national minority community cultures alongside dominant Bengali culture to build a pluralistic society.
People, who have been living in the country from the beginning, have more responsibility to ensure that, as the Hajong people came mainly from some areas of India, thinking it a secured land for them, he said.
But the ruling class here did not behave well with the minority people, he added.
Hajong, the first solo photography exhibition of Aslam, is featuring 22 photographs to explore the life, struggle and cultural elements of Hajong people mostly residing in Sunamganj and Netrokona districts.
‘Hajong people have their own rich culture, religion, social customs and traditions. However, they have been ignored and oppressed in the country since the partition of India in 1947,’ said Aslam.
‘Most of them, both male and female, work as day labourers or agricultural labourers. But their earnings are not sufficient enough for their survival,’ the photographer said while talking about his field experiences with the Hajong people.
‘I began my work on Hajong people in 2021,’ he said, adding that he decided to complete the work and go for an exhibition with a message of the existence of diversity in the country after the political transition through the July uprising.
The exhibition will remain open for visitors from 3:00pm to 9:00pm till March 18.
