Miscreants vandalise Qawwali programme at DU
Witnesses alleged leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were behind the attack
A group of miscreants have vandalised a Qawwali concert held at the Teacher Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University (DU).
They thrashed the stage and beat up the spectators shortly after the concert started around 6pm Wednesday (12 January).
Witnesses alleged leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) of Dhaka University and Dhaka College units attacked the event with domestic weapons.
Several people at the concert were reportedly injured in the incident.
Rafij Khan, a 3rd year DU student, said the assailants attacked the visitors sitting near the stage with chairs and blunt weapons.
"Shortly after the programme started a group of men forced their way to the stage and started beating the students and visitors at the spot," he told The Business Standard.
Later, they dispersed the crowd and tarnished the stage and musical instruments, he added.
Meer Huzaifa al Mamduh, one of the organisers of the event, said BCL DU unit general secretary Saddam Hussain had demanded to stop the programme for Covid-19.
DU Proctor Prof Golam Rabbani said the organisers were told to postpone the event beforehand for health risks.
"The incident (attack) is unexpected. We will be investigating the matter to find out who were behind the attack," he said.
Meanwhile, BCL DU unit general secretary Saddam Hussain denied the allegations of planning the attack.
"The attack was part of their (organisers) internal clash over Islamic Sharia on holding concerts," he told The Business Standard.
