Memes: More than just a laugh

Memes, often dismissed as mere humour, can be powerful tools for depicting social and political issues with satire.

Sometimes memes are more than just a laugh; they serve as a significant means of addressing various societal and political concerns and engaging the younger generation with them.

Imagine entering a polling station with excitement, only to be told by someone, "Your vote has already been cast", or another person telling you, "We have two booths, one for daytime voters and another for nighttime".

This scenario isn't a political oddity but a clever meme installation at Meme Fest by "earki", a satire platform dedicated to posting and sharing memes. The festival, held at Aloki Convention Centre yesterday, featured over 550 memes addressing a wide array of social issues.

"In times when voicing serious opinions feels risky, we're bringing memes to a bigger stage, proving they're not just funny -- they're a powerful new form of free expression," said earki founder Simu Naser.

"There's a generation gap between many of us now. We wanted this fest to bridge that gap, bringing citizens of all ages together," he added.

Visiting the fest, filmmaker Ashfaque Nipun described the event as "soulful," saying memes have a shared language which connects people across political and social issues.

The festival featured meme exhibitions, live contests, stand-up comedy, meme museums, cosplay, and a workshop conducted by Ashfaq, Tech Global Institute Director Subhanaz Rashid Diya, Jahangirnagar University Professor Maha Mirza, and others.

There was also a panel discussion on the impacts of memes in Bangladesh.

The panelists included writer Anisul Haque, Unmad editor Ahasan Habib and cartoonist Morshed Mishu.