'Visual history' of our Liberation War

At the end of the day, all the pictures are fragments of the past. With these fragmented scenes from the past, the history is portrayed through 'visual history'. The images of visual history are created consciously or unconsciously, with their main focus on significant events, time, and culture. Visual history Can be Expressed Through One or More Images. Initially, hand-drawn pictures, murals, and frescoes were used to explore visual-history. From the mid-20th century onwards, the responsibility of creating the world's visual-history has largely been shouldered by the camera. In its continuity, the camera captures the scene-history of our Liberation War.

Cynthia Freeland, in her book 'Introduction to Art Theory,' stated, "Adhering to too many rules while creating artwork never gives birth to a masterpiece." On the other hand, in the book 'Regarding the Pain of Others,' Susan Sontag mentioned, "Photographs of violent events seem even more credible when the exact mechanics of lighting or composition are not present among them." Sometimes I think, perhaps due to these reasons, many images of our great Liberation War have become 'masterpieces.' If you look at any widely used image of the Liberation War, you'll find that the picture was not taken strictly following rules. In the chaos of war, where is the opportunity and time to adhere to rules! And we know, even a raw snapshot can hold significance in constructing visual-history.

Brave freedom fighters in the freedom struggle. Photo: Anwar Hossain

In Bengali literature, as much as there was talk of our struggle for independence, unfortunately, it did not find as much space as it deserved. The Liberation War has found its appropriate place through two mediums of art: music and visual arts. I am not aware of any other country that has such emotionally charged songs about the Liberation War. Moreover, there are so many diverse and artistic visual representations that acknowledging them is essential to complete the history of Bangladesh's independence. These images not only assist in describing the continuous history of Bangladesh's liberation struggle but also contribute to building history in their own unique way.

Susan Sontag, in her book 'On Photography,' has stated, "Photography furnishes evidence. Something we hear about, but doubt, seems proven when we're shown a photograph of it." If the camera had not been appropriately used during the Liberation War, we might not have been able to comprehend the extent of the brutality carried out by the Pakistani military and their collaborators in East Pakistan. The horrifying scenes captured in those photographs vividly express what words may fail to convey, and even believing in such atrocities might have been challenging without the visual evidence provided by those photographs. "The photographs dispel our doubts.

Women in the Liberation War. Photo: Saida Khanam

The images of our Liberation War not only capture terrifying scenes but also narrate tales of bravery. These pictures continue to inspire and uplift our courageous spirit, even to this day. Their significance lies in the fact that if these images were absent, proving our nation's valor would have been a challenging task. As they say, seeing is believing, and the camera has not allowed any ambiguity about the courage of our nation during the Liberation War. The ordinary people of our country engaged in the war without any formality, leaving behind no formal proof. These photographs have largely fulfilled that gap.

In Roland Barthes' book 'Camera Lucida,' he mentions, "A photograph is never real memory; rather, it captured memory, quickly transforming it into non-memory." According to him, "every photograph is a certificate of presence." At least in the context of the images of the Liberation War, I agree with him. The vivid images we hold in our hands have not allowed the Liberation War to fade into mere memory; instead, it remains a perpetual present for us. We have witnessed that, regardless of the ongoing debates about the written history of our Liberation War, have we ever seen any debate about the images from the war? Pointing fingers towards a photograph is challenging—it's because it is a "certificate of presence."

A Bengali woman in a refugee camp in India. Photo: Raghu Rai

In broad strokes, news photography has two aspects: pragmatic and aesthetic. Balancing these two aspects in a photograph can be challenging. While the images of our Liberation War may not necessarily possess strong aesthetic qualities, their absence would have been a significant loss. Due to the immediacy and urgency of the moments captured in these photographs, they hold great importance. Fortunately, many of the iconic images from the Liberation War exhibit not only historical significance but also artistic qualities. This artistic characteristic has significantly influenced the discourse on photography in post-liberation Bangladesh.

Art critic and author Susan Sontag has stated, "In the photographs of war, the search for beauty appears heartless. No matter how it is done, the scene of war is not a scene from nature. Yet, even in the scene of destruction, there is beauty." Renowned photojournalist James Nachtwey, in an interview, also expressed, "It's not just the ugly moments in life that are not beautiful. There's beauty in every aspect of human contradiction, and that's one of the themes in art and literature. It is probably why images become acceptable to people they contain elements that they recognize from their own lives, even in the most tragic moments."

71's Rayer Bazar Badhyabhumi. Photo: Rashid Talukder

Even if, for a moment, we overlook the Bengali identity, if we turn our attention to the images of the Liberation War, we will see that these images are simultaneously heartwarming and heart-wrenching. At times, we may be so immersed in the information conveyed by the photographs that we overlook their inherent beauty. However, alongside the informational aspect of the images, discussions about their aesthetic qualities are equally essential. For those viewers who are unaware of the details of the Liberation War, the first impact will likely be the beauty of the images. This aesthetic appreciation can serve as the 'background' for discussions about the valor and atrocities of the war.

Photography became increasingly significant from the 1940s to the 1970s. However, the rise of photojournalism in our country coincided with the upheaval of the late 1970s. It flourished and became formalized during the 1970s. Today's photojournalism in Bangladesh is the harvest of the seventies. There were no photographers in the art movement of the forties and sixties in the country. At that time, the number of photographers was also scarce.

A hero of brutality. Photo: Naib Uddin Ahmed

However, we observed the prominent position of photography in mass movements, first in the Language Movement in 1952, then during the upheavals of the 1969s, and finally in the War of Independence in 1971. The use of the photojournalism of 1971 or photography as compelling evidence has become an unforgettable milestone in front of us. When discussing the history, language, skills, and aesthetics of photojournalism in Bangladesh, the context of the 1970s in photojournalism repeatedly comes to the forefront.

A list should have been compiled of both domestic and international photographers who captured the great Liberation War with their cameras, and those photographs needed to be appropriately preserved. However, even after the Victory Golden Jubilee, we couldn't accomplish this. And yes, it is not enough to have a bunch of high-priced pictures of the Liberation War, it is also important who is watching those pictures.

We have entered a time where, due to political reasons, two opposing parties stand in the context of the Liberation War. Therefore, the interpretation of the photographs of the Liberation War has become unfortunately relative, depending on one's affiliation or opposition. In the book "Ways of Seeing," John Berger mentions, "What we know or believe shapes what we see." Therefore, the pictures of the liberation war will be ineffective unless there is an audience to read them.

Author: Journalist and teacher of photography.