In Bangladesh, an old mother goes to bed leaving the door unlocked, hoping her only son would walk through the door during the night. Since 2012, Bangladeshi security agencies introduced a range of techniques to control social and political movements by modifying police practices into militarized models. According to the Capital punishment justice project , between 2009-2022 more than three thousand political activists and protesters have been forcefully disappeared and extrajudicially killed by the security agencies, which produced a massive number of ‘political widows’ and ‘political orphans’. Enforced disappearances symbolize insurmountable suffering, as the kin of the disappeared persons wait constantly without closure. Resistance comes in many different shapes and forms. For these families, violent demonstrations or other rebellious gestures are not feasible. However, a careful observation of their day-to-day activities reveals a lot about how they have always been protesting in some way.

Due to ongoing authoritarian state practices, journalistic reports and media news often ignore and bypass the struggles and resistance faced by political widows and orphans in the public space. The project aims to shed light on the family’s resistance in everyday life to break the silence around police brutality. By bringing attention to the injustices faced by victims of police brutality and challenging the lack of coverage or acknowledgment in the media, the project aims to make a timely contribution toward seeking justice for the families of the victims.

The project explores many instances of state violence, including military interventions and police brutality, as well as how security measures have crept into every aspect of our daily lives, from public places to digital communication. It also strives to investigate many gender expressions, transcending binary notions and taking into account the social, cultural, and psychological dimensions of gender roles. Consequently, it contributes to increasing awareness, encouraging advocacy, and improving society. The project is in line with this goal. It aims to advance the discussion on social justice, human rights, and gender equality by critically and thoughtfully examining contemporary instances of state violence, securitization, and gender subjectivity.