Cartoonist Ahsan Habib protests case filed against “Earki”

Cartoonist and Unmad magazine editor Ahsan Habib strongly protested the case filed against the satire page “Earki.”

Speaking at a Saturday (December 6) event titled “Satire, Memes, and Cartoons: Freedom of Expression or Defamation?” organised by the Nagorik Coalition at the National Press Club, he said the case poses a threat to society and stressed the importance of humor in building a healthy community.

Writers Suman Rahman, Firoz Ahmed, lawyers Sara Hossain, and cartoonists Simu Naser and Mehedi Haque also attended the event.

Habib noted that Unmad primarily publishes feature cartoons rather than political ones, but political issues are often incorporated subtly. The case has now forced creators to exercise caution.

Speakers emphasised that satire, memes, and cartoons have long been powerful tools for free expression in Bangladesh, especially when mainstream media remained silent. They highlighted the role of such content in government critique and during the July mass uprising.

The case, filed on December 2 by Dhaka University Central Student Council (DUCSU) Vice President Abu Sadik Kayem, threatens freedom of expression, they said.

The speakers demanded immediate withdrawal of the case, legal protection for content creators, and strong state measures to safeguard free speech.