Daijiworld Media Network - Faridpur

Faridpur, Dec 27: A concert by popular Bangladeshi singer James was cancelled in Faridpur, around 120 km from Dhaka, following attacks by miscreants on artistes, performers and cultural institutions, raising fresh concerns over growing intolerance towards cultural events in the country.

According to local reports, the concert was scheduled for 9.00 pm on Friday as part of a local school’s anniversary celebrations. A group of attackers allegedly attempted to force entry into the venue and hurled bricks and stones at the gathered crowd. While students reportedly resisted the attackers, local authorities later directed the organisers to cancel the event in the interest of safety.

Renowned author Taslima Nasreen highlighted the incident on social media, warning of a disturbing pattern in Bangladesh. In a post on X, she said cultural institutions such as Chhayanaut and Udichi had been reduced to ashes, and alleged that extremist elements were now openly targeting music and artistes. Referring to the Faridpur incident, she said radical groups did not allow singer James to perform.

Nasreen further pointed out that classical musician Siraj Ali Khan, grandson of legendary maestro Ustad Allauddin Khan, recently returned to India without performing in Dhaka, stating he would not visit Bangladesh again until artistes and cultural institutions were safe. She added that Ustad Rashid Khan’s son Arman Khan had also declined an invitation to perform in Dhaka, citing similar concerns.

James, a hugely popular singer-songwriter and frontman of the rock band ‘Nagar Baul’, has also sung several hit Hindi film songs, including Bheegi Bheegi from Gangster and Alvida from Life In A Metro. The attack on his concert has been seen as a sign of emboldened radical elements targeting cultural expression in Bangladesh.

In recent months, several cultural organisations, artistes, journalists and media offices have reportedly come under attack, with critics accusing the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of failing to rein in extremist mobs. Some allege that the violence is aimed at creating a law-and-order crisis to delay elections scheduled for February.