Ek Khaale: an exhibition of resistance 

From 17th to 28th August, Ek Khaale: Once Upon a Time, an exhibition was held at Brac University Exhibition Hall. The event was jointly organised by the Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ) and Greg Constantine, the recognized documentary photographer whose 15 years of work were exhibited. The event featured panel discussions, guided tours, lectures, seminars, special presentations, and school engagement activities. The 10-day-long exhibition focused on the contemporary issue concerning the Rohingya community. 

The program firstly had the speech of Professor Dr. Syed Ferhat Anwar (Vice-Chancellor, BracU) followed by speeches of Michael Miller (EU ambassador) and Shahariar Sadat (Deputy Executive Director, CPJ). Greg Constantine, in his speech, shared his years of experience and how he feels that the Rohingya community is just regular people like us. He also shared that the portrait series of the Rohingya photographs in different countries is a collective act of resistance. The session also had a poetry recital by Aminul Sinha Islam (Senior, ENH) sharing their experience about how this exhibition is awakening people about the roots and constitution of the Rohingyas. Delegates from Palestine and Netherlands were also present, who shared their respect for the Rohingyas and viewed the exhibition as being impactful. 

Greg Constantine says, “I have been documenting the Rohingya community for 20 years now. All the photographs and documents could challenge the historical narratives about the Rohingya community. People see this community as victims, but they shouldn’t be defined by the atrocities they faced. Their history is so vulnerable and no one has been exposed to it. I wanted this project to be able to tell who they are behind all those pain. I honestly think that a project like this has the capacity to be able to contribute more in the future than my pictures ever would have.”