Street Art As the Emotional Infrastructure of Social Movement: The Case of Bangladesh

Bangladesh has undergone a series of anti-government and pro-democratic protests through July and early August of 2024 primarily led by the university students which eventually successfully resulted in the fall of a fascist, corrupted and an authoritative government in August 5, 2024. Although it started as the restructuring of the quota system of the government job recruitment, later the oppressive and derogatory activities of the then government instigated the emotions of the youth. At one level of the movement, street art was used as a medium to express their emotions. The research question of this study is to demonstrate how the emotions of the youth and the people were accentuated through street art and assisted to the fall of an authoritarian regime in Bangladesh. The objectives of the study are to explore the chronological history of July-August, 2024 uprising in Bangladesh and the associated emotions; and to examine the role of street art as a key medium of expression that mobilizes the collective actions and resistance. The research was conducted in August and September, 2024 employing reconnaissance survey, observation and interview of street artists and common people. The study findings revealed that anger and hate against the then government and the love and passion for the oppressed activists and the fellow countrymen were expressed through street art and people of all classes came forward protesting against the huge bloodshed of the then government under the banner of anti-discriminatory movement and became a successful social movement. The emotions of the public urged to raise their voices and street art was used as a form of expression to uphold the emotions by portraying nationalism, communal harmony, inclusiveness, solidarity, public engagement and awareness. This medium was employed to create memory and pay homage to the martyrs and the injured of this movement.