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KOLKATA: Tabla player Mainak Biswas and photographer Kallab Ghosh, who accompanied Sarod player Shiraz Ali Khan for his December 19 concert at Chhayanaut in Bangladesh, found themselves in a precarious situation in Dhaka after the event was cancelled.Recounting 48 hours of intense anxiety they endured before finally managing to return home on December 22, Biswas said he had never felt so vulnerable in the neighbouring country, which he has earlier visited at least five times. He said he had always received warmth from the people of Bangladesh.“However, this visit turned into my worst nightmare. I could never have imagined how difficult life could become as a Hindu trapped in Bangladesh when anti-Indian rhetoric was at its peak,” said Biswas after his return to Kolkata.The tension, he said, was suffocating, and every moment was spent in anticipation of what could go wrong. “It is easy to identify me as an Indian. Hence, the fear of being targeted was ever-present. The ordeal is a constant reminder of the vulnerability.”“My mother and grandmother were at home in Kolkata. But I didn’t call them up to share my tension. I still feel a shiver down my spine when I recall those helpless hours,” Biswas recounted. “I had switched off my phone. My mind went blank when I learned what had happened to Dipu Das. I couldn’t fathom what might await me if a mob attacked me.”The situation became increasingly challenging after Shiraz’s departure. “He had reputation of a renowned musician and the advantage of a Khan surname. Unlike him, I couldn’t even speak local dialect. They say those who can’t speak have no enemies. I decided to remain silent and pretend I couldn’t speak. Shiraz’s mother was with us, and I had the added responsibility of ensuring her safety,” Biswas said.
