Vandals ransack the concert venue of James on Friday night, as seen in footage shared widely on social media
DHAKA: Over 25 people, mostly students, were injured after a mob attacked a concert – in which popular Bangladeshi singer James was scheduled to perform – in Faridpur on Friday night, amid growing insecurity in the country’s cultural sphere after a spree of attacks on artistes by hardliners campaigning for austerity and purity. He gained popularity in India for hit Bollywood numbers – ‘Bheegi Bheegi’ and ‘Alvida’. Attack likely to reinforce perception of Bangladesh as inhospitable territory for artistes Local authorities blamed the chaos on the ineptitude of organisers who failed to fathom the simple fact that the fame of James would draw in numbers many times more than they expected and planned for.Coming after similar incidents and threats issued by Islamists to enforce a culture and a lifestyle compliant with their version of pure and austere Islam, the fiasco at Faridpur will reinforce the perception of Bangladesh as an inhospitable territory for artistes.”I saw the whole incident. It was terrifying. Even after returning to Dhaka, the trauma doesn’t seem to go away,” said Srabanya Touhida, who was anchoring the event, recalling the large mob outside the event’s venue and the chaos caused as it hurled bricks and stones on the audience.On the incident, exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen said on X, “The cultural centre Chhayanaut has been burned to ashes. Udichi – the organisation that was built to foster a secular and progressive consciousness through the promotion of music, theater, dance, recitation, and folk culture-has also been burned to ashes. Today, jihadists did not allow the renowned singer James to perform at an event.”She also claimed that a few days ago, Siraj Ali Khan – the grandson of Ali Akbar Khan and great-grandson of maestro Ustad Allauddin Khan – had come to Dhaka, but returned “without performing any programme and saying he wouldn’t come to Bangladesh again until artists, music, and cultural institutions are safe”. “Two days ago, Ustad Rashid Khan’s son Arman Khan also declined Dhaka’s invitation. He too made it clear that he does not wish to set foot in a Bangladesh inhabited by music-hating jihadists,” the author claimed.The injured were admitted to a local hospital, and among them was also the convener of the reunion committee of Faridpur Zilla School. Faridpur Kotwali police station in-charge Mohammad Shahidul Islam said that 20,000 to 25,000 people gathered outside the school after news spread of James’s arrival. “It was impossible to accommodate such a large crowd inside the premises,” he said, adding that the concert was cancelled to restore order. Officials said more than 25 people were injured.James’s spokesperson Rubaiyat Thakur Robin called it “complete mismanagement and failure of the organisers.” The band – Nagarbaul – arrived in Faridpur around 7.30 pm for the concert and were staying at a guest house. “We only learnt about the chaos after the programme had started. When the situation became extreme around 10.30 pm, we were informed that the concert has been cancelled. We then returned to Dhaka,” he said.The organising committee said the reunion was meant exclusively for registered former and current students. “However, thousands of people gathered outside the school,” it said.Dissatisfied, some outsiders attempted to climb the boundary wall around 9.30 pm. When security personnel stopped them, they began throwing bricks at the audience and the stage inside the school premises. The situation escalated further when four to five individuals managed to enter the premises, but were confronted by students, the officials said.
