Popular singer James’s concert in Faridpur, Bangladesh, located around 120 kilometres from Dhaka, was cancelled after a mob attacked the venue, throwing bricks and stones at the crowd.
The country, which has plunged into deep turmoil due to a fresh wave of violence, has seen an increase in attacks on artists, performers, and cultural institutions.
The concert, scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. on Friday at a school campus, had drawn a full crowd. However, as the performance was about to start, a group of people attempted to force their way into the venue, creating panic among the audience and organisers by hurling bricks and stones.
While a section of the audience, particularly students, tried to resist the attackers, the event was eventually cancelled.
According to reports, James managed to leave the venue safely. Known as the ‘Guru of Rock’ in Bangladesh, he is the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the rock band Nagar Baul.
"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," Author Taslima Nasreen wrote on X.
The fresh wave of protests and violence erupted in Bangladesh after the killing of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. The Inqilab Mancha spokesperson died at a Singapore hospital on Thursday, days after he was shot in the head.
The country has witnessed a spate of attacks on minority communities, with two Hindu men, Amrit Mondal and Dipu Chandra Das, being lynched.
India expressed grave concern on Friday about the "unremitting hostilities" against minorities in Bangladesh, demanding punishment for those involved in the lynching of the Hindu youths.