Dhaka’s concert calendar has begun to resemble a list of what could have been.
In just one month, one international show after another has fallen off the stage — Pakistan’s Azmat Ali, India’s Anuv Jain, the Pakistani band Jaal, Kabish, and now, most prominently, Atif Aslam.
The city’s much-anticipated live music revival has been repeatedly stalled by cancellations, security clearances and unanswered permits.
Atif Aslam was scheduled to perform in Dhaka on December 13, in a large-scale public concert at the China-Bangladesh Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal.
But the show never happened.
Organizers confirmed they failed to secure the required security clearance, forcing the cancellation at the last moment.
Yet Atif never really left the city’s soundscape.
While the public concert was scrapped, the singer’s Dhaka tour quietly continued behind closed doors.
Over the past few days, Atif has been performing at a series of private shows — away from ticket queues, barricades and official scrutiny.
On Thursday, he sang at a private university event.
Two days earlier, on December 15, he performed at an exclusive club show titled “The Final Note: Atif Aslam.”
Videos and photos from the night have since flooded social media.
On December 17, Atif was also reported to perform at another private show
The canceled December 13 concert had been organized by Main Stage Inc, with Spirit of July as co-organizer.
After the cancellation, Atif addressed fans directly on Facebook.
“Dear Bangladeshi fans,” he wrote, “it is with great regret that we are not performing at the concert scheduled for December 13 in Dhaka… due to the inability to arrange necessary permits, security clearances and logistics.”
The irony has not gone unnoticed.
While large public concerts continue to be denied clearance, private stages remain brightly lit.
For fans locked outside the gates, the question lingers: in a city craving live music, who gets to listen — and who must keep waiting?
For now, Dhaka hums with fragments of melodies heard through screens, echoing from private halls, while the public stage remains stubbornly silent.
