To Speak or Not to Speak: Rights and Democracy in Bangladesh

This event, an address by Dr. Shahidul Alam, a photojournalist and activist from Bangladesh, marks the 2023 Asma Jahangir Memorial Lecture. It is part of an annual lecture series in honor of the late Asma Jahangir, a leading human rights activist from Pakistan who passed away in 2018. The lecture features an annual address by a distinguished scholar, opinion leader, or activist who addresses issues of democracy and human rights in South Asia. This series is hosted by the Wilson Center's Asia Program and South Asia Institute, and South Asia Democracy Watch (SDW), a nonprofit organization that promotes social justice, human rights, and equality in South Asia through educational programs, conferences, and symposia.

In his lecture, Alam spoke about his past and current work as a photojournalist documenting rights and democracy in Bangladesh. He spoke about his past incarceration, his current situation, and the broader state of play with rights and democracy in Bangladesh today.

Alam has been a photographer for more than 40 years, and his work has been published in most major western media outlets. Much of his work has documented political change and human rights abuses. He founded the Drik Picture Library in 1989, the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute in Dhaka in 1998, and the Chobi Mela International Photography Festival in 1999. He is a visiting professor at the University of Sunderland in the UK. His books include Nature's Fury (2007) and My Journey as a Witness (2011). He was arrested and jailed for several months in 2018 after criticizing the Bangladesh government's violent response to protests over road safety. Alam was Time Magazine's 2018 Person of the Year.

A moderated panel discussion followed Alam's lecture.