Witnessing to the Uprising

As a photojournalist, I witnessed the July uprising from the front lines, on the streets. The turbulent days of July 2024 were captured through my lens; images that serve both as a historical record and a powerful testimony to the brutal conflict between state violence and the masses' resistance.

My role in this mass movement extended far beyond my professional duties as a photojournalist. Defying the bluster of state machinery, I risked my life to bring the truth to light. I was shot, forced to live a displaced and precarious life for days on end, and became not just an observer but a participant deeply embedded in the movement. An unwavering commitment to truth kept me on the streets even after the uprising. Just like during those turbulent days, my camera continued to document what followed—the aftermath, the struggles of the injured, and the grief of the bereaved.

The significance of this book as a document of the uprising lies not only in my photographs, but also in my diary entries, personal accounts, and raw emotional reflections, which have been compiled here in both Bangla and English. Witness to the Uprising presents both the uprising itself, which emerged as a pivotal turning point in Bangladesh’s history of protest, and the slow dissipation of the dreams of a new future that had begun to take shape in its wake. Through images and words, this book brings it all to life for the reader.