Friday’s scheduled concert by the renowned Bangladeshi musician James, popularly known as “Nagar Baul,” in Faridpur was abruptly cancelled following a surge of unruly behaviour by unauthorised attendees. The performance was intended as the finale of Faridpur Zilla School’s 185th anniversary celebrations and reunion event. However, the occasion descended into disorder when external spectators began hurling bricks at the school premises, prompting the organisers to terminate the concert.
Rubaiyat Thakur Robin, spokesperson for James and the Nagar Baul group, told Prothom Alo, “We arrived in Faridpur at 7:30 pm to participate in the event. Shortly after it began, we were informed that there was chaos outside. We were in the guest house at the time. By 10:30 pm, when the situation escalated, the organisers officially decided to cancel the programme. We then returned to Dhaka.”
James himself criticised the handling of the event, stating, “This was entirely due to the organisers’ mismanagement and failure to control the situation.”
According to sources within the organising committee, the reunion and cultural programme was exclusively for registered former and current students of the school. Nevertheless, several thousand unregistered attendees, attracted by the prospect of seeing James perform, gathered outside. Denied entry, they congregated along the adjacent Mujib Road. The organisers attempted to accommodate them by setting up two outdoor projectors, but the spectators remained dissatisfied. Around 9:30 pm, some attempted to breach the school walls, leading to bricks being thrown towards both the stage and the audience area. Security personnel faced significant challenges in containing the crowd, resulting in 25–30 injuries among students and attendees.
Several individuals managed to enter the school grounds, where they were confronted by students. In response to the escalating violence, Benjir Ahmed Tabreez, a member of the school’s Security Subcommittee and an alumnus, announced the cancellation of the cultural programme just before 10 pm.
Incident Summary Table:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Faridpur Zilla School 185th Anniversary & Reunion |
| Scheduled Performance | James (Nagar Baul) Concert |
| Date & Time | Friday, started ~7:30 pm |
| Total Attendance (Outside) | 20,000–25,000 people |
| Cause of Disruption | External spectators hurling bricks |
| Injuries | 25–30 in school premises; organisers also affected |
| Authorities Involved | Security Subcommittee, Faridpur Kotwali Police |
| Outcome | Concert cancelled at ~10 pm |
Faridpur Kotwali Police Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Shahidul Islam stated that accommodating such a massive crowd within the school premises was impossible. “Minor chaos occurred when unauthorised individuals were denied entry. To ensure overall safety, the performance had to be cancelled,” he added.
The incident has sparked widespread criticism over the lack of crowd control and organisational planning, with many calling for improved security measures at future events of similar scale.