Dhaka Theatre Festival Canceled After Basanta and Lalon Festivals

Staff Reporter

The Dhaka Metropolitan Drama Festival has been postponed due to threats from extremist groups, following disruptions to other cultural events such as the Basanta Utsav, Lalon Smaran Utsav, and Valentine’s Day celebrations across the country.

Despite extensive preparations, the organizers decided to cancel the festival over safety concerns, confirmed festival convener Thandu Rayhan. He stated, “In light of unforeseen circumstances and to ensure everyone’s safety, we are compelled to temporarily suspend our much-loved drama festival.”

The festival was scheduled to begin on Saturday at 5 PM at the Mahila Samiti Auditorium on Natok Sarani in Dhaka. The inaugural event included the staging of the Liberation War-inspired play *Payer Awaj Pawa Jay*. A total of 85 theater groups were set to perform in three phases.

On Friday evening, a group of extremists reportedly entered the Mahila Samiti premises, objected to the festival, and issued threats of violence if the event proceeded.

According to Kamal Ahmed, the festival’s organizing secretary, “On Friday afternoon, a Mahila Samiti official informed us that Ramna Police Station had advised canceling the festival. We met with the officer-in-charge (OC) that evening and provided details about the event.”

When asked whether police permission had been obtained, Ahmed clarified, “We host regular theater performances, which don’t typically require police approval. This event involved no foreign participants, so no special permission was necessary.”

The organizers submitted a formal request for security following assurances from the police. However, after news of the meeting spread, some individuals dismantled the festival decorations at the venue.

When asked about the identity of the threateners, Ahmed linked the incident to a recent disruption during a play at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, where actors and prominent theater activist Mamunur Rashid were attacked during a protest rally.

Officials from Mahila Samiti declined to comment publicly, though one senior member confirmed concerns about potential attacks, prompting the organizers to cancel the event.

Ramna Police Station OC Golam Faruq and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam both stated that they were unaware of the situation when approached for comments.