# ANNIHILATE THESE DEMONS

Annihilate These Demons (stylized ANNIHILATE THESE DEMONS) is a political poster illustrated by Quamrul Hassan. Created during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, the poster features a caricature of Yahya Khan, then-president of Pakistan, depicting him as a monstrous beast. The image became one of the most influential artistic representations of the war and a symbol of the brutality of the Pakistan Army.
In 1970, Hassan had the opportunity to see Khan in person in Dacca, capital of East Pakistan (present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh). The facial features he observed served as the basis for sketches he drew during the non-cooperation movement in March 1971. The poster, which came to symbolize the oppressive Pakistani regime, was first published in May 1971 in The Jai Bangla during Bangladesh Liberation War and was later distributed across liberated zones, refugee camps, and among the Mukti Bahini. Using only two colors, the poster was created in two versions, with titles in both Bengali and English.

## Creation

In 1970, artist Quamrul Hassan had the opportunity to see then-president of Pakistan, Yahya Khan, in person at the Dacca Museum, East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh National Museum, Dhaka, Bangladesh). According to Hassan, Khan looked "like a devil" at the time. Using this mental image as a reference, Hassan drew ten sketches of him during the non-cooperation movement in March 1971. He turned these into posters with the caption "জানোয়ারটা আবার আক্রমণ করতে পারে" (lit. 'this beast may attack again') and displayed them at the Shaheed Minar, Dacca, in 23th March. Two days later, Operation Searchlight was launched in East Pakistan under the orders of Yahya Khan, leading to the start of a genocide. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, leaflets and posters were widely distributed to protest the genocide.
During the war, the newly formed provisional government established an Art and Design Division in Calcutta, the capital-in-exile, appointing Quamrul Hassan as its director. While in this role, he designed two versions of the poster featuring Yahya Khan as a monstrous figure. In one version, Khan is depicted as a bloodthirsty demon with glowing red eyes and blood dripping from his fangs. In the other, he has ears resembling those of an elephant. Since Yahya Khan was the mastermind behind Operation Searchlight, Hassan chose to portray him as a beast rather than a ruler, making the image a symbol of Pakistan’s oppressive regime. The poster used red and black as its primary colors, with red highlighting Yahya's eyes and fangs. After completing the artwork, Hassan discussed potential titles with his colleagues. When they suggested the word "Janwar" (Bengali: জানোয়ার, lit. 'the beast'), he finalized the caption. At the time, "Janwar" was a rarely used Bengali insult, reserved for expressions of intense anger. The poster was produced in both Bengali and English, with the Bengali title reading "এই জানোয়ারদের হত্যা করতে হবে" (lit. 'these beasts must be killed').

## Publication and exhibition

In May 1971, the poster was first published in the The Jai Bangla, a weekly newspaper. The newspaper featured the poster a total of three times under three different titles. Printed copies of the poster were distributed to liberated zones, refugee camps, and members of the Mukti Bahini. In 2008, the poster was exhibited at the Drik Gallery in Dhaka. In 2022, on the occasion of Quamrul Hassan's birth centenary, it was part of a special exhibition at the Nalinikanta Bhattasali Gallery of the Bangladesh National Museum. The poster is also on display at the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka.

## Significance, reception, and legacy

The caricature depicted on the poster portrays Yahya Khan as a sinister beast. This politically significant poster is aesthetically remarkable in terms of artistic quality and had one of the greatest influences on the Bangladesh Liberation War. To the new generation of Bangladesh, the figure illustrated in the poster is considered a symbol of the brutality of the Pakistan Army during the war. Art critic Moinuddin Khaled compared this artwork to Pablo Picasso's 1937 piece The Dream and Lie of Franco and described it as a political document. According to artist Qayyum Chowdhury, the monstrous figure of Khan depicted in the poster will remain eternally memorable to Bengalis, akin to the plundering cavalry of the Bargis, the Maratha raiders. Writer Mizanur Rahman remarked that during the war, the poster functioned as a weapon of resistance.
Artist and cartoonist Rafiqun Nabi described it as a provocative and courageous artwork, writing "শিল্পকর্ম হিসেবে এর যেমন বিশালত্ব রয়েছে, অন্য দিকে আছে তার আঁকার দক্ষতা, প্রতিবাদী প্রকাশ ক্ষমতা। কামরুল হাসানের জীবনের একটি দিক।" (lit. 'as an artwork, it possesses grandeur; at the same time, it demonstrates artistic skill and the power of protest. It represents an aspect of Quamrul Hassan’s life.') Cartoonist Simu Naser stated that the satirical depiction of Yahya Khan in the poster has become an iconic image in the history of political cartoons in Bangladesh. Before the 2024 city corporation election, someone anonymously pasted the poster all over the city of Mymensingh, adding the title "এই রক্তখেকো জানোয়ারদের হত্যা করতে হবে" (lit. 'these bloodthirsty beasts must be killed').