New Delhi: A concert of popular Bangladeshi rock singer James was cancelled in Faridpur Friday night after a group of attackers attempted to force their way into the venue, pelting bricks and stones at the crowd and injuring more than two dozen people, according to local reports.
The concert was part of the anniversary celebrations of Faridpur Zilla School, and was called off on the instructions of the district administration amid escalating violence at the venue, roughly 120 km southwest of Dhaka.
According to Daily Star, organisers said trouble began when the group tried to enter the venue without permission. When security personnel and student volunteers denied them entry, the group allegedly began pelting bricks and stones and attempted to seize control of the stage. Students resisted the attack, forcing the assailants to retreat, but the situation had already deteriorated beyond control.
At least 25 people were injured in the incident, organisers were quoted saying in the report. Rajibul Hasan Khan, convenor of the event’s publicity and media subcommittee, told bdnews24 that between 15 and 20 students suffered injuries, many after being struck on the head by bricks.
“We had completed all preparations to make James’s concert a success,” Khan said. “But we still do not understand why the attack happened, what prompted it, or who was behind it.”
Faruq Mahfuz Anam, popularly known as James, is the lead singer of rock band Nagar Baul. In Bangladesh, he is referred to as ‘Guru’ and has also belted popular Bollywood songs.
Bangladesh has also witnessed multiple attacks on baul singers. Last month, prominent Baul singer Abul Sarkar was arrested over blasphemy charges after an imam claimed he had hurt “religious sentiments”.
The host of the event, Srabonno Towhida, who was on stage when the violence erupted, later described the chaos in a social media post. She said the situation escalated moments before James was due to begin his performance.
“I was conducting the raffle draw when suddenly a large stone fell right in front of me,” she wrote. “Nearly 15,000 people were trying to enter the venue. Around 15 students were injured, suffering head wounds. For more than three hours, everyone stood there confused, scared and uncertain, hoping the situation would improve.”
Repeated attacks on culture
The Faridpur incident comes amid a broader wave of attacks on artists, performers and cultural institutions across Bangladesh in recent days.
Earlier, Kolkata-based sarod player Shiraz Ali Khan was forced to cut short his visit to Bangladesh and conceal his Indian identity after unrest erupted around Dhaka’s iconic cultural institution Chhayanaut, where he was scheduled to perform 19 December.
The recital at the renowned cultural venue was abruptly cancelled after the premises were vandalised amid nationwide turmoil following the death of radical activist Sharif Osman Hadi, which set off a wave of violence across Bangladesh.
Chhayanaut and Udichi Shilpigoshthi, both founded before Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, are prominent cultural institutions that were attacked last week after the death of Hadi.
Established in 1961, Chhayanaut is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Bengali music and cultural traditions. It had emerged as part of a broader effort to safeguard Bengal’s linguistic and cultural identity at a time when such expression was politically constrained.
Last week, its seven-storey building was vandalised and set on fire. Musical instruments, artworks and important archival documents were destroyed, marking one of the gravest assaults on a cultural institution in Bangladesh’s recent history.
A similar attack took place on Udichi Shilpigoshthi, the country’s largest cultural organisation which is committed to building what it describes as a just, free and egalitarian society through art and activism. The organisation also played an active cultural role during the 1971 Liberation War, with many of its members joining the struggle for independence.
In an act of defiance, Udichi Shilpigoshthi members shifted their activities to the open space outside the building.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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