On Friday, Bangladeshi freelance documentary photographer Mashruk Ahmed’s research-based project exhibition ‘The War Is Not Over Yet’ began at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD).

Curated by ASM Rezaur Rahman, the exhibition’s opening ceremony was joined by several special guests including Mofidul Hoque, writer, researcher and trustee of the Bangladesh Liberation War Museum; Navine Murshid, writer and associate professor of Political Science at Colgate University, USA; Durjoy Rahman, art collector and founder of the Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation (DBF); Saiful Huq Omi, photographer and founder of Counter Foto; and Francois Grosjean, director, Alliance Française de Dhaka.

An ongoing research-based project by Mashruk Ahmed, this exhibition 'War Is Not Over Yet' showcases the integration of photography, videography, and archival materials, through which the artist collaborates with women freedom fighters to explore their personal narratives. According to the photographer, the exhibition also aims to provide a sanctuary for their stories and experiences.

Ever since the Liberation War in 1971, the many women who fought for Bangladesh’s independence alongside their male counterparts have not received the recognition that they deserve. Only three have been awarded the title ‘Bir Protik’, as opposed to 426 men.

The title ‘Birangona’ (‘War Heroine’) was instead given to women survivors of sexual violence during the war. These women soon found themselves exploited once again, often by men who would take for themselves financial rewards promised to the women, leaving them to suffer the stigma of a conservative society alone.

“The war isn’t over yet. It is now a war declared on women by a patriarchal society that has stripped them of their identity and selfhood, disregarding all that they sacrificed in the struggle for our independence. This war will not be over until the women who fought for our independence are acknowledged, compensated for their sacrifices, and honoured, as they deserve to be,” according to Mashruk.

A freelance documentary photographer born and raised in Bangladesh, Mashruk Ahmed pursued his photography studies at CounterFoto and is currently based in Dhaka.

Supported by Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation (DBF), the exhibition will be open to all till June 26,  every day from 3 pm to 9 pm.