Dhaka Metropolitan Theatre Festival suspended due to security concerns

The Dhaka Metropolitan Theatre Festival has suspended their programmes citing security concerns.

The decision was taken over receiving alleged threats from a group, according to a statement signed by the Dhaka Metropolitan Theatre Council Convener Thandu Raihan.

The festival was scheduled to be inaugurated at 5pm today to run for 14 days (15-28 February) at the Mahila Samity auditorium in Dhaka's Natak Sarani. The Liberation War-based play "Payer Awaz Pawa Jay" was scheduled to be staged in the evening. Over the three stages of the festival, 85 theatre groups were scheduled to perform a play each.

The statement said, "In preparation for this, over the past two months, the staff of 85 theatre groups in Dhaka have worked tirelessly, and when the festival was nearly ready, funded through public donations, we were suddenly informed that the festival had to be cancelled. 

"Yesterday at 1pm, an official from the Mahila Samity informed us that the Ramna Police Station had called and asked the festival to be cancelled. On behalf of the festival committee, we contacted the officer-in-charge . In the evening, we met with the officer at his office and briefed him on the festival details. Although events like this do not require police or government permission, after our discussion, the officer reassured us. We then submitted a formal request for security assistance."

However, shortly after that, a mob entered the police station, threatened and pressured the relevant official from the Mahila Samity to cancel the festival, the statement alleged. 

"In light of this, the Mahila Samity, concerned about the safety of their premises, verbally cancelled the hall booking that very night."

The theatre council alleged that last night, some individuals removed all festival decorations from the Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium at the samity. "Despite this, in the interest of the theatre, we continued discussions with the [aforementioned] officer-in-charge."

The council further said a play by a theatre troupe was stopped midway through the show at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Theatre professionals then protested the incident. "We believe that today's incident is a repetition of that event."

"In this unfortunate situation, for the safety of everyone, we are compelled to announce the temporary suspension of this theatre festival," the statement reads.