Cultural activists at a discussion on Monday said that freedom and responsibilities of artistes were important to build a participatory state.
They also said that arts should be popular and rational in nature.
The discussion titled Responsibility of Art to Build a Participatory State was organised by Dhaka University Literature Society at the Professor Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium at the university.
Director General of Bangla Academy Pofessor Mohammad Azam, associate professor of Dhaka University Samina Luthfa, assistant professor Tanvir Nahid Khan, filmmaker and scriptwriter Ashfaque Nipun, editor of Ranapa Bhuiyan Asaduzzaman spoke at the discussion.
The DU sociology department student Raihan Ahmed presented the keynote at the discussion.
Raihan Ahmed, in the keynote, placed an outline of responsibility of art in contemporary Bangladesh.
‘Responsibilities cannot force us to create art but artistes have to be aware about freedom,’ said Raihan Ahmed.
Bhuiyan Asaduzzaman said that the expression of the recent student-led mass uprising was too contemporary and subaltern.
‘The slogans and symbols of the movement were contemporary, which break the idea of traditional movement,’ said Asaduzzaman.
Tanvir Nahid Khan said that the state needed to be inclusive and democratic.
‘We have to coexist, and all individual values need to flourish to build a participatory state,’ said Nahid.
We have to create a working environment for all styles, genres and values, said Ashfaque Nipun.Â
He added, ‘We need to grow as audiences and artistes to allow all whatever artists produce.’
Samina Luthfa said that arts needed to be emotional along with being rational.
‘We have to be aware not only of copyright but also the beneficiary of arts,’ said Samina Luthfa. Â
Mohammad Azam said that a lot of good literature and arts were produced in the past decades.
‘We have to think about the new contexts of arts in contemporary time as the ideas of social and political responsibilities have declined,’ said Mohammad Azam. Â