Mob attack injures 20 students, forces cancellation of James’ concert in Bangladesh

At least 20 students were injured after a mob attack forced the cancellation of a concert by popular Bangladeshi rock singer James in Faridpur on the night of December 26, officials said.
The incident occurred at Faridpur Zilla School, where the concert was scheduled to mark the closing ceremony of the institution’s 185th anniversary celebrations. The programme was to be held late at night on a temporary stage set up within the school premises.
According to organisers, just before the concert was set to begin, a group of outsiders attempted to force their way into the venue after being denied entry. The situation quickly escalated as the attackers allegedly hurled bricks and stones and tried to seize control of the stage.
Students of the school resisted the attackers, during which at least 20 students sustained injuries from flying debris, organisers said. However, police said the exact number of injured was yet to be officially confirmed.
“The number of injured in the attack is not yet known. We are trying to gather detailed information,” Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) Azmir Hossain was quoted as saying by news portal tbsnews.net.
Following the violence and the deteriorating law-and-order situation, the organising committee cancelled the concert on the instructions of the Faridpur district administration, according to The Daily Star.
Organising committee convener Mustafizur Rahman Shamim said the decision was taken in the interest of public safety. Rajibul Hasan Khan, convener of the programme’s publicity and media sub-committee, said the motive behind the attack remained unclear.
“We could not understand why and who carried out the attack on James’ concert. Considering the overall situation, we were compelled to cancel the programme following instructions from the district administration,” Khan said.
The incident comes amid a recent spate of attacks on cultural institutions in Bangladesh. In recent weeks, prominent cultural organisations such as Chhayanaut and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi in Dhaka have reportedly been vandalised, raising concerns over the safety of cultural events in the country.
James, the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the iconic Bangladeshi rock band Nagar Baul, is also well known to Indian audiences for his work in Bollywood films such as Gangster, Woh Lamhe and Life in a Metro.