Over 25 injured after mob attacks music concert in Bangladesh

A concert by popular Bangladeshi singer James was cancelled in Faridpur, around 120 kilometres from Dhaka, following an attack at the venue, injuring over 25 people, local media reported.

This comes amid the growing concerns over assaults on artists, performers, and cultural institutions across Bangladesh.

According to local reports, the concert was scheduled to begin at around 9pm on Friday as part of celebrations marking the anniversary of a local school.

Trouble erupted when a group of attackers attempted to force their way into the venue and allegedly pelted bricks and stones at the audience.

Local residents said students present at the venue tried to resist the attackers, but the situation escalated, prompting local authorities to order the cancellation of the programme in the interest of safety, reports leading Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star.

The incident drew sharp reactions from exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, who highlighted the episode as part of a disturbing trend unfolding in the country.

In a post on social media platform X, she wrote, “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.”

Nasreen also referred to earlier instances involving visiting artists, saying, “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 said.

The writer further added, “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.”

James, a highly popular Bangladeshi singer-songwriter, guitarist, and composer, is also known for his work as a playback singer. He is the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the rock band ‘Nagar Baul’ and enjoys a massive following in Bangladesh.

Beyond his work in the Bangladeshi music scene, James has also sung several hit Hindi film songs, including Bheegi Bheegi from the film Gangster and Alvida from Life In A Metro.

Observers say the disruption of a concert by an artist of James’ stature reflects how emboldened radical elements have become in Bangladesh in recent times.

Over the past months, cultural institutions such as Chhayanaut and Udichi, along with artists, journalists, and newspaper offices, have come under repeated attack as hardline Islamic radical mobs have increasingly taken to the streets, often with little visible intervention from the state.

The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has faced criticism for failing to rein in violent mobs, with critics alleging that incidents of arson and targeted attacks are being allowed, or even orchestrated, to create a law-and-order crisis.

According to these critics, the worsening situation could be used as a pretext to delay elections currently scheduled for February.