Ruling party men repeatedly attack Muslin Festival preparations
Mohiuddin Alamgir
The organisers of the month-long national exhibition on traditional muslin artifacts have come under repeated attacks by miscreants identifying as activists of an Awami Swechchasebok League leader, throwing the event in jeopardy.
When reached over phone and asked about the attack on Muslin Festival orgainsers Delwar hung up.
During the incumbent government’s tenure, police shut down Drik’s photo exhibition ‘Into Exile—Tibet 1949-2009’ in 2009 and law enforcers barred them from holding another photo exhibition ‘Cross Fire’ in March 22 to 31, 2010, which eventually remained open for one day, on the concluding day, following a High Court order.
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The organisers of the month-long national exhibition on traditional muslin artifacts have come under repeated attacks by miscreants identifying as activists of an Awami Swechchasebok League leader, throwing the event in jeopardy.
Drik, in partnership with the Bangladesh National Museum and Aarong, is slated to host the Muslin Festival in Dhaka that will feature an exhibition titled ‘Muslin Revival’ of visual installation, photography and muslin sari at the Nalini Kanta Bhattashali Gallery of the museum from February 5 to March 3.
Organisers and National Museum officials said that a group of miscreants identifying as followers of Awami Swechchasebok League organising secretary Delwar Hossain had attacked exhibition staff who went to the museum to prepare the gallery on Wednesday and Thursday.
Another group of miscreants also attacked workers at Ahsan Manzil where oragnisers are planning to hold Muslin Night on February 6 as part of the festival.
Organisers said the attacks were disrupting the preparation of the festival which aims to recreate the story of this legendary textile, to ensure historical accuracy about our nation’s role in this unique fabric, to generate awareness about its exceptional past and to inspire its revival.
They said that a large number of foreign guest are expected to participate in the festival.
‘As a direct consequence of these attacks, Drik’s costs are spiralling out of control, and the entire event is now threatened. Bangladesh is being deprived of a unique show that the entire nation could have taken pride in,’ Shahidul Alam, managing director of Drik, said.
Bangladesh National Museum director general Faizul Latif Chowdhury was not available at his office at about 12 noon. When he was reached over phone at about 3:25pm he asked the correspondent to contact him after 10 minutes. Faizul, however, did not pick up his phone or answer texts afterwards.
The cell phone of cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor was found closed between 12 noon to 4:30pm while cultural affairs secretary Aktari Mamtaz said she was not aware of the attacks.
‘We will take necessary steps, if needed provide police protection for the organisers. We are very much devoted to the events centering the muslin tradition,’ she said.
‘As far I know, our minister is also not aware about the attacks,’ she added.
A book titled ‘Muslin Our Story’ and a documentary film titled ‘Legend of the Loom’ are set to be released at the Muslin Festival. The Muslin Night is designed to boost public awareness of muslin’s history in an entertaining manner and display the revival of muslin weaving, said organisers.
Officials said that work of Muslin Festival commenced from early 2014.
After a memorandum of understanding signed between Drik and the museum authorities in May 2015, the festival schedule was set for February 2016.
Witnesses said miscreants attacked the contractors and managers who went to work at the museum on Wednesday at about 11:00am, and in front of museum officials and security, the miscreants ‘threw the equipments out’.
Goons also attacked contractors and workers at Ahsan Manzil at about 1:00pm on the same day and threw them out.
When contacted, officials requested Drik to return to work entering through a side entrance to the museum. Drik however refused to so, said organisers.
On Thursday, museum officials asked Drik to return, assuring them the problems had been resolved. Drik staff returned and the goons once again attacked them and threw them out from inside the museum at 1.00 pm. They also threw museum officials and contractors out of Ahsan Manzil at 3:00 pm.
‘The festival is in jeopardy. The help of police has been sought but they urged Drik to come to an understanding with the goons,’ alleged one organiser.
Shahbagh police officer-in-charge Abu Bakar Siddique said he was not aware about any such attacks saying ‘no one had contacted me about the attacks’.
Museum officials on Friday said some miscreants claiming to be activists of Awami Swechchasebok League leader Delwar Hossain attacked the workers.
Organisers and National Museum officials said that a group of miscreants identifying as followers of Awami Swechchasebok League organising secretary Delwar Hossain had attacked exhibition staff who went to the museum to prepare the gallery on Wednesday and Thursday.
Another group of miscreants also attacked workers at Ahsan Manzil where oragnisers are planning to hold Muslin Night on February 6 as part of the festival.
Organisers said the attacks were disrupting the preparation of the festival which aims to recreate the story of this legendary textile, to ensure historical accuracy about our nation’s role in this unique fabric, to generate awareness about its exceptional past and to inspire its revival.
They said that a large number of foreign guest are expected to participate in the festival.
‘As a direct consequence of these attacks, Drik’s costs are spiralling out of control, and the entire event is now threatened. Bangladesh is being deprived of a unique show that the entire nation could have taken pride in,’ Shahidul Alam, managing director of Drik, said.
Bangladesh National Museum director general Faizul Latif Chowdhury was not available at his office at about 12 noon. When he was reached over phone at about 3:25pm he asked the correspondent to contact him after 10 minutes. Faizul, however, did not pick up his phone or answer texts afterwards.
The cell phone of cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor was found closed between 12 noon to 4:30pm while cultural affairs secretary Aktari Mamtaz said she was not aware of the attacks.
‘We will take necessary steps, if needed provide police protection for the organisers. We are very much devoted to the events centering the muslin tradition,’ she said.
‘As far I know, our minister is also not aware about the attacks,’ she added.
A book titled ‘Muslin Our Story’ and a documentary film titled ‘Legend of the Loom’ are set to be released at the Muslin Festival. The Muslin Night is designed to boost public awareness of muslin’s history in an entertaining manner and display the revival of muslin weaving, said organisers.
Officials said that work of Muslin Festival commenced from early 2014.
After a memorandum of understanding signed between Drik and the museum authorities in May 2015, the festival schedule was set for February 2016.
Witnesses said miscreants attacked the contractors and managers who went to work at the museum on Wednesday at about 11:00am, and in front of museum officials and security, the miscreants ‘threw the equipments out’.
Goons also attacked contractors and workers at Ahsan Manzil at about 1:00pm on the same day and threw them out.
When contacted, officials requested Drik to return to work entering through a side entrance to the museum. Drik however refused to so, said organisers.
On Thursday, museum officials asked Drik to return, assuring them the problems had been resolved. Drik staff returned and the goons once again attacked them and threw them out from inside the museum at 1.00 pm. They also threw museum officials and contractors out of Ahsan Manzil at 3:00 pm.
‘The festival is in jeopardy. The help of police has been sought but they urged Drik to come to an understanding with the goons,’ alleged one organiser.
Shahbagh police officer-in-charge Abu Bakar Siddique said he was not aware about any such attacks saying ‘no one had contacted me about the attacks’.
Museum officials on Friday said some miscreants claiming to be activists of Awami Swechchasebok League leader Delwar Hossain attacked the workers.
When reached over phone and asked about the attack on Muslin Festival orgainsers Delwar hung up.
During the incumbent government’s tenure, police shut down Drik’s photo exhibition ‘Into Exile—Tibet 1949-2009’ in 2009 and law enforcers barred them from holding another photo exhibition ‘Cross Fire’ in March 22 to 31, 2010, which eventually remained open for one day, on the concluding day, following a High Court order.
posted by Satish Sharma at
03:20
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