‘Hajong’: Aslam Molla’s first solo photography exhibition to be held Friday

Dhaka, 13 Mar  - Photographer, journalist, and theatre activist Mohammad Asadurjaman Aslam Molla’s first solo photography exhibition, ‘Hajong,’ is set to be inaugurated on Friday at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) in the capital’s Dhanmondi.

The opening of the exhibition will be joined by Nurul Kabir, editor of New Age, and Mustafa Zaman, artist-art critic and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) Fine Arts Director, on Friday at 4 pm.

The exhibition will highlight the rich culture, traditions, and lifestyle of the Hajong community, a small ethnic group residing in the northeastern regions of Bangladesh, including Sunamganj, Sylhet, and Mymensingh. The Hajongs have a unique culture and religion, closely aligned with Hinduism but centred around worshipping Shiva, their chief deity, and Aslam Molla’s work will showcase their distinct customs, including their practice of wearing ‘Paita,’ the holy thread, and their devotion to Goddess Durga and other deities.

The Hajong people, who were significantly displaced during the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent, have a history intertwined with political movements, particularly the fight against the exploitation of zamindars in the Mymensingh division. Aslam Molla's exhibition will also shed light on their struggles, including their involvement with the Communist Party and the subsequent migration of around 30,000 Hajong refugees to India in 1964.

Aslam Molla is currently working as a journalist at New Age. His past exhibitions include the Colombo Art Expo 2024 and the 25th National Art Exhibition in 2023, where he won the Best Award in Photography.

The exhibition will be open to all till Tuesday, March 18, every day from 3 pm to 9 pm.