Bangladesh singer James was scheduled to headline the closing night of the 185th anniversary celebrations of Faridpur Zilla School at 9 pm on Friday. However, even before the singer could perform, a group of people forcefully entered the venue and threw bricks and stones at the crowd. They also tried to take control of the stage. Consequently, the concert was called off.
At least 25 people have been reportedly injured in the incident.
What exactly happened?
According to a report by Bangladesh daily Prothom Alo, the event was meant exclusively for registered current and former students of Faridpur Zilla School. However, news of James’s appearance drew several thousand unregistered individuals to the venue. After being denied entry, the crowd gathered along nearby Mujib Road. In an effort to manage the situation, organisers installed two projectors outside the school premises so those unable to enter could still watch the event.
Despite this, tensions escalated around 9:30 pm when members of the crowd attempted to scale the school walls to gain access. The crowd went out of control when security personnel intervened and began pelting stones at those who were inside the school premises.
At around 10 pm, the convener of the organising committee, Mustafizur Rahman Shamim, announced from the stage that James’s performance had been cancelled due to the tense situation, following instructions from the Faridpur district administration, according to a report by deshkalnews.com.
“We had made all necessary preparations to ensure the success of James’s concert, but we still do not understand who carried out the attack or why. At least 15 to 20 students of Faridpur Zilla School were injured after being hit by bricks,” Rajibul Hasan Khan, convener of the publicity and media sub-committee of the anniversary celebrations, was quoted by ANI as saying.
He added, “Taking the overall situation into account, we were compelled to cancel the programme on the instructions of the district administration.”
‘Jihadists did not allow…,’ says Taslima Nasreen
Author Taslima Nareen, in a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter), slammed the incident. She said that the “jihadists did not allow the renowned singer James to perform at an event”.
She also highlighted the ongoing pattern where musicians are not allowed to perform in Bangladesh.
“A few days ago, Siraj Ali Khan came to Dhaka. He is the grandson of Ali Akbar Khan, the son of the world-famous maestro Ustad Allauddin Khan. Siraj Ali Khan himself is a distinguished artist of the Maihar gharana. He returned to India without performing any program in Dhaka, saying that he would not come to Bangladesh again until artists, music, and cultural institutions are safe,” she added.
She went on to say that one of the musicians had also declined an invitation to perform in Dhaka days earlier, expressing reluctance to visit a country where musicians face hostility.
“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,” she went on to say.
She also shared a purported video where people can be seen vandalising the venue. Some were even seen holding sticks.
Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, popularly known as James, is a Bangladeshi singer-songwriter, guitarist, and composer. He is the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the rock band Nagar Baul. He has also lent his voice to four Bollywood films, including Gangster, Woh Lamhe, Life in a… Metro, and Warning.