Writers, artists in Chattogram sound alarm over rising attacks on cultural practitioners
They urged the authorities to take firm action against those attempting to dismantle the country’s pluralistic identity, ensure citizens can live without fear, and immediately release Abul Sarkar
A group of writers, artists and rights advocates in Chattogram has warned that persistent attacks on Baul–Fakir communities, folk musicians, stage performers and cultural workers across the country signal a deeper threat to Bangladesh's cultural space.
In a statement issued today (25 November), they said the pattern of harassment, from assaults on shrines to the public shaming of Baul singers and the intimidation of women, shows how extremist groups are attempting to impose a rigid social order by targeting long-standing traditions of music, performance and religious pluralism.
According to the signatories, the violence is no longer isolated. They pointed to Baul artists being attacked in front of police in Manikganj, the arrest of Baul singer Abul Sarkar on a blasphemy allegation, raids on cultural events, and incidents in which bodies were exhumed and burned. They said the surge in the months following the July uprising suggests an emboldened network working to erase dissenting practices and beliefs.
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The statement argues that the pressure is not coming only from fringe groups. In several cases, they allege that state agencies have acted on flimsy accusations, allowing intimidation to spread unchecked. This silence, they say, has left cultural workers exposed and ordinary citizens fearful.
The group insists that the government can no longer stand aside. They urged the authorities to take firm action against those attempting to dismantle the country's pluralistic identity, ensure citizens can live without fear, and immediately release Abul Sarkar.
More than forty writers, artists, filmmakers, academics and journalists endorsed the statement, including Theatre Director Asim Das, Public Health Experts Dr Sushanta Barua and Dr AKM Arif Uddin Ahmed, Writer and Journalist Ahmed Munir, Filmmaker Pankaj Chowdhury Rony, Poet Swarup Supanth, Cyclist-Journalist Shiuli Shabnam, and several cultural activists from Chattogram and Dhaka.
They said the attacks strike at the heart of Bangladesh's cultural heritage and warned that inaction risks pushing the country towards an intolerant image abroad.
