A concert by Bangladeshi rock legend James at Faridpur Zilla School was called off late Friday after violence broke out at the venue, leaving at least 25 people injured.
The performance was scheduled for around 9.30 pm on the school campus, marking the closing event of the institution’s 185th anniversary celebrations. Moments before James was due to come on stage, a group of people who were not part of the event tried to enter the venue by force.
According to reports, the anniversary programme was meant only for registered former and current students. News of James’s appearance drew a large crowd of outsiders, many of whom gathered on nearby Mujib Road after being denied entry. Organisers later arranged projectors outside so they could watch the programme, but tensions continued to rise.
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How the violence unfolded outside the venue
Around 9.30 pm, some people attempted to climb over the boundary wall. When security staff and students tried to stop them, bricks and stones were thrown towards the school grounds and the stage.
Several people inside the campus were injured during the stone-pelting, local daily Prothom Alo reported.
By about 10.00 pm, organisers announced that the concert had been cancelled on the instructions of the district administration, according to deshkalnews.com.
Rajibul Hasan Khan, a member of the event’s publicity and media committee, said organisers were not yet sure who carried out the attack or what triggered it. He said between 15 and 20 students were injured.
The two-day anniversary programme began on Thursday morning and was set to end on Friday night with cultural events, a raffle draw and James’s performance as the main attraction.
Founded in 1840 during British rule, Faridpur Zilla School is among the historic government-established schools in the region. Over the past 185 years, it has played a key role in education and has been closely linked with the area’s cultural and social life.
Taslima Nasreen’s reaction to the incident
Following the incident, writer Taslima Nasreen, in a post on X, linked the disruption of James’s concert to a wider pattern of attacks on cultural spaces in Bangladesh. She alleged that institutions such as Chhayanaut and Udichi, known for promoting secular and progressive cultural expression, had been targeted in recent times. Referring to the Faridpur incident, Nasreen claimed that extremist groups did not allow James to perform.
“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, theatre, 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.”
In her post, she also pointed to recent instances involving Indian classical musicians. Siraj Ali Khan, grandson of sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan and a noted artist of the Maihar gharana, reportedly returned to India without performing in Dhaka, citing concerns over the safety of artists and cultural institutions. Separately, she said Ustad Rashid Khan’s son, Arman Khan, had declined an invitation to perform in Dhaka, expressing similar apprehensions.
Who is James?
James is one of Bangladesh’s best-known musicians. He is the lead singer of the rock band Nagar Baul and has a large following across the country.
He has also sung popular Hindi film songs, including tracks from Gangster (Bheegi Bheegi) and Life in a… Metro (Alvida), giving him a wide audience in India.
Some observers say the cancellation of a concert by an artist of his stature reflects growing pressure on cultural events in Bangladesh.
The interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus has faced criticism from sections of civil society over law-and-order concerns. Critics argue that continued violence could affect the country’s political timeline, including elections expected next year.