Cultural Hegemony: Fascism and the Responsibility of Art and Literature

For sixteen years, Bangladesh endured an entrenched authoritarian regime. Throughout this period, a significant segment of individuals and institutions associated with the country's cultural sphere played a role in shaping public opinion in favor of the regime and legitimizing its misrule. Under the guise of art, literature, and culture, persistent efforts were made to glorify fascist practices and to portray the regime's brutality, repression, and inhumanity in a favorable light.

Today's seminar examined the responsibility of art and literature in the promotion, dissemination, and entrenchment of fascism. The discussion was led by two distinguished scholars who have long engaged with art and literature from both theoretical and practical perspectives, combining academic research with cultural activism. Drawing on both scholarly analysis and lived experience, the seminar sought to explore the relationship between fascism and art and literature, as well as the responsibilities borne by cultural producers in times of authoritarian rule.