Bangladesh unrest: Mob attacks singer James’ concert with bricks, stones; 20 injured | VIDEO

The concert of popular singer James in Faridpur was cancelled on Friday after a mob attacked the venue amid the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh. The event was scheduled to be held around 9 pm on Friday, when a mob suddenly entered the venue and started throwing stones and bricks at those attending the concert, leaving several injured. Though people tried to resist, the concert was eventually cancelled. 

James is a Bangladeshi playback singer, guitarist and songwriter, who has also sung songs for several Hindi movies. He is quite popular in Bangladesh.  

Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen shared the video of the incident on X (previously Twitter), highlighting the number of attacks on singers and artists in the country. “The cultural center Chhayanaut has been burned to ashes. Udichi — the organization 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,” she said.

Nasreen said that a few days ago, grandson of Ustad Allauddin Khan’s Siraj Ali Khan had come to Dhaka but he returned to India, saying he won’t return 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,” she said.

Bangladesh unrest and attacks on artists

Radicalisation has increased in Bangladesh after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has failed to control it. The country has been witnessing a rise in attacks on artists and journalists, even though the Yunus government has said that it is trying to keep the situation under control. 

Notably, these attacks have increased after radical youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi was killed while campaigning in Dhaka for the February 12 parliamentary elections.

Hasina and her Awami League have attacked the Yunus government and said that violence has become a norm under the Yunus government. In a recent email interview to news agency ANI, Hasina said that lawlessness has only multiple after her departure, while also flagging concerns over attacks on minorities. 

“Violence has become the norm while the interim government either denies it or is powerless to stop it. Such incidents destabilise Bangladesh internally but also our relationships with neighbours who are watching with justified alarm… When you cannot maintain basic order within your borders, your credibility on the international stage collapses,” she had said.