Cartoon Vs Corruption

Exhibition by Transparency International Bangladesh
It is of prime importance to encourage anti-corruption attitudes among the youth. That is exactly what Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has set out to do. Over the last four years, the organisation has held countrywide competitions and exhibitions with participants in the age groups 13-18 and 19-35.
In keeping with this endeavour, the ‘Cartoon Against Corruption Exhibition 2009’ was held at Zainul Gallery, Faculty of Fine Arts from December 10-16. Prior to this, December 9 saw the inauguration ceremony and the distribution of awards
At the exhibition, the playful colours and faces delineate a very dark issue. They reveal the most indigestible truths in a manner that the viewer cannot help but smile at the scrupulous message carved through ink and colours.
The most remarkable aspect of the exhibition is that these works are mostly by artists in their teens and early ’20s. At a time of their lives when they should be having fun, they spared their valuable hours trying to understand and make others realise just what is going on around us. Not to mention people in their 30s, who are meant to be hidden behind their stacks of office files, or other personal/official burdens. And yet, they take the time and effort to alert the masses about the ills of corruption.
“We do it mainly to encourage anti-corruption attitudes among the youth,” said Lipi Amena, Outreach and Communication, TIB. “Not only in Dhaka, but also in 36 localities of six divisions, the Committee of Concerned Citizens (CCC) co-ordinates programmes surrounding various occasions such as International Youth Day. These exhibitions are usually held worldwide to observe International Anti Corruption Day which falls on December 9.”
The four judges were Syed Manzoorul Islam, Shishir Bhattacharya, Ahsan Habib and Shahrier Khan. The first position was jointly taken by Asim Chandro Roy who captured ‘digital Bangladesh’ in his cartoon and Mehedi Haque who drew a corrupt doctor smiling at the bribes he has managed to rake in. Other than the first, second and third positions, there were many works that received a special mention.
In one cartoon by Nasreen Sultana Mitu, the current system of local government fund was criticised where the fund first goes to the bureaucrats before ‘dropping’ to the needy people who actually deserve it. ASM Shahidullah Faruq showed how hard it is for an average patient to get proper treatment at a hospital, with unnecessary costs impeding him at every step. One cartoon shows ants discussing the stock of sugar and the rise in the commodity’s price. This goes to show that the young are pretty much aware of the phenomenon of corruption.
“We have been holding such exhibits since 2006,” said Sajjad Hussein, Senior Manager, TIB. “It mainly gives an opportunity to cartoonists who do not have any platform to exhibit their works. Besides this, we aim to encourage and alert the younger generation about the need to root out corruption. We try to reach out to the youth not only in Dhaka but even as far as the remote areas of Hill tracts in Chittagong where no exhibitions have been held so far. From next year, we will try to have both a photographic exhibition other than a cartoon exhibition.”

Courtesy of The Daily Star