Bangladesh unrest: Islamist mob attacks singer James’ concert venue, show cancelled minutes before start

An Islamist mob attacked the venue of a concert by Bangladeshi rock musician James on Friday. James, also popularly known as Nagar Baul, was scheduled to perform at a cultural programme marking the 185th anniversary of Faridpur Zilla School.

Chaos unfolded at the venue following the attack, prompting organisers to abruptly cancel the show and leaving around 20 people injured. The concert was cancelled minutes before it was to begin after attackers entered the venue, hurled bricks and attempted to seize the stage.

As per India Today, James was scheduled to go on stage at around 09:30 pm at the school campus. Moments before the performance, a group of people described as "outsiders" tried to forcefully enter the venue and turned violent when security personnel and organisers stopped them.

The "outsiders" threw bricks and stones towards the stage and the audience. Most of those injured were students of the school who had gathered near the venue, several of whom sustained head and limb injuries. As per reports, students resisted the attackers and managed to push them back from the campus.

Given the deteriorating situation, district administration officials stepped in. Dr Mostafizur Rahman Shamim, convenor of the organising committee, announced from the stage that the concert had been cancelled following instructions from the Faridpur district administration, citing concerns over law and order.

Following the announcement, James was taken away from the venue amid the chaos under security cover. No injuries to the artist or his band members were officially reported.

Rajibul Hasan Khan, convenor of the programme's publicity and media sub-committee, said that the organisers had completed all preparations for the concert but were left shocked by the sudden violence. Khan said that 15–25 students were injured after being attacked with stones and bricks.

“We still do not know who carried out the attack or why. The situation forced us to stop the programme to prevent further violence,” he said. The attackers reportedly opposed holding music and cultural festivals, demanding that such events be stopped.

Police maintained a heavy deployment in the area after the concert was cancelled, and the situation was brought under control later in the night.