Anti-Discrimination Protest Halts Uttara Spring Festival

Staff Reporter

The annual Spring Festival, held across various locations in Dhaka to welcome the season, was canceled in Uttara following objections from anti-discrimination groups. Despite securing necessary permissions, organizers faced resistance from local residents, ultimately leading to the event’s cancellation.

The National Spring Festival Celebration Committee had obtained approvals from Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and the metropolitan police. They also rented and paid for the venue. However, local opposition prevented the event from taking place.

Manzar Chowdhury Sweet, the committee’s general secretary, stated, “We followed all protocols, received permission from DNCC and police, and paid for the venue. Still, we couldn’t hold the festival due to local resistance.”

Sources among the organizers identified Emon Rahman Farhad as the leader of the protests, claiming he instigated locals against the festival. Allegations also arose accusing an organizer of being affiliated with the Awami League, leading to their removal from the event planning team, though the festival remained canceled.

When contacted, Emon, identifying himself as the spokesperson for the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Turag, claimed the event’s local representative was linked to the Awami League. Asked for their name, he said, “I don’t know their name.”

Emon also accused the organizers of not using the proper name of the venue on banners. He said, “Since August 5, we’ve renamed the stage as ‘Mir Mughda Mancha,’ but the festival organizers are referring to it as ‘Open Stage.’ We’ve been maintaining the stage for seven months.”

Asked whether DNCC officially changed the name, he replied, “We’ve informed them. An official visited the site, and it will be done.”

Although the festival in Uttara was halted, events at Dhaka University’s Bakultala and Old Dhaka’s Bahadur Shah Park proceeded as planned, celebrating spring without disruption.

The cancellation left organizers disheartened, and they vowed to take precautions to avoid similar issues in the future.