Funny yet thought provoking caricatures depicting the predicaments created by corruption are on display at an exhibition at the Zainul Gallery at the faculty of fine arts of Dhaka University.
The exhibition, inaugurated on December 09, has been organised by Transparency International Bangladesh as an observance of International Anti-Corruption Day. The exhibition is an initiative by the organisation to raise awareness among the youngsters of the country about the dark side of corruption.
Around 60 artists have illustrated their thoughts and observations about corruption through 138 cartoons created by pen sketches and drawings.
Cartoonist Mehedi Haque’s cartoon depicts the map of Bangladesh tied with a huge weight symbolizing corruption. Nuhash Alien Chowdhury’s caricature displays a ferocious monster with an axe in one hand and a butcher knife in the other, coming out of a box captioned Bibek (conscience) and chasing a helpless looking man.
Sumon Das, on the other hand, has satirised the status of Bangladesh in global corruption. The cartoon exhibits the race of corruption on a race track with four sprinters. In the race, the sprinter with ‘Bangladesh’ written on his chest is at the finish line, while the other sprinters are running away from the finish line.
Another thought provoking work at the exhibition is Kanock’s cartoon that depicts how corruption can immobilise a nation. The cartoon features a poor looking man, with ‘hope’ written on his chest, leaning on two fragile bamboo sticks as both of his feet are sore with ‘corruption’.
Cartoonist Ishrak has portrayed corruption as a huge snake and Bangladesh as the snake charmer in his cartoon. The cartoon shows the snake has gone completely out of control and is about to bite the charmer representing the fact that corruption has spread in the country uncontrollably.
The fact that corruption makes the poor poorer and the rich richer has been depicted in Mithu’s cartoon, which depicts a human pyramid with increasingly heavier individuals, symbolising corruptors, standing on the shoulders of sickly men, symbolising the general people.
Cartoonist Oishee, on the other hand, has portrayed a tree made of money with a cradle hanging from one of its branches. A man in formal dress, symbolising the corrupt officials, is enjoying his time on the cradle, completely unaware of a little boy who is sitting on the on the tree
and cutting off the rope that hangs the cradle with a pair of scissors.
Began on December 09, the exhibition will remain open from 12:00 to 8:00pm till December 16.
-With New Age input
