Citing “many objections” and “fears of unrest,” the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Dhaka has postponed the Sharot Utsab organized by Satyen Sen Shilpigosthi at the Bakultala premises of the faculty. However, the event has not been cancelled.
Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Professor Azharul Islam, told the media on Friday that the festival may be held at a later date.
Meanwhile, Manzar Chowdhury, general secretary of Satyen Sen Shilpigosthi — the organizer of the event — said that objections were raised against him, labelling him a “collaborator of fascism,” though he had never been affiliated with the Awami League in any way.
The Sharot Utsab has been celebrated at the Faculty of Fine Arts for the past 19 years. As in previous years, Satyen Sen Shilpigosthi had prepared to hold the event this year as well.
However, it was suddenly postponed after all preparations had been completed, Manzar Chowdhury told the media. He expressed concern over the development, saying that it had sent a “negative message” globally.
“This festival is a celebration of nature. It has no connection with the Awami League, BNP, or Jamaat. We have been organizing it for years, and we are not an obscure or fringe organization,” he said.
He also mentioned that a smaller version of the Sharot Utsab was being held at the Kochi-Kanchar Mela ground in Gandaria. According to him, the authorities have proposed a meeting with the organizers on Saturday.
Dean Azharul Islam told the media: “The event has only been postponed, not cancelled. It will be held later. We will hold a meeting tomorrow to decide on the next steps.”
Explaining the decision, he said: “After several people objected, calling the organizers collaborators of fascism, and in light of concerns about possible unrest, we had to temporarily postpone the event.”
He added: “We received many phone calls from different places, with people warning that allowing so-called collaborators of fascism to hold an event could lead to trouble. Under such circumstances, we were compelled to take this decision.”
