Writ seeks directives to protect cultural activities

A writ petition has been filed seeking directives for preventive measures to protect lawful and peaceful cultural activities, including concerts, musical performances, folk music, Baul songs, theatrical productions, film screenings, traditional boat races and Pahela Baishakh (Bengali New Year) celebrations.

The petition also seeks directives to ensure preventive measures that protect artists, cultural workers, organisers and audiences from unlawful obstruction, intimidation, threats, violence, vandalism and coercion by unauthorised individuals or groups during such events.

Supreme Court lawyer Saddam Hossain (Abhi) filed the writ petition as the petitioner.

Confirming the filing on Wednesday, he told Prothom Alo, “The writ petition seeks directives for preventive measures to prevent obstruction to various cultural activities and events, including concerts, boat races, Pahela Baishakh celebrations and Baul music performances. It also seeks directives to ensure the protection and security of those involved in organising these events. The Supreme Court is currently in recess, and regular court proceedings will resume on 25 October. We will present the writ petition for a hearing before a regular bench.”

Earlier, on 9 September, lawyer Saddam Hossain sent a legal notice requesting the authorities to take necessary measures to protect lawful cultural events, including concerts, musical programmes, folk music performances, baul songs, theatre, film screenings, Pahela Baishakh celebrations and boat races, from threats and obstruction.

He sent the notice to three government secretaries and the Inspector General of Police.

The legal notice stated that incidents involving obstruction, objections and protests against cultural events, the suspension or cancellation of programmes on security grounds, and demands to stop traditional boat races had recently come to light in different parts of the country.

According to published reports, the authorities cancelled a concert in Kishoreganj in August 2026 following objections from a local group.

Around the same time, demands emerged to stop a traditional boat race on the Sunai River in Beanibazar, Sylhet. In Dhaka, a concert by singer Anupam Roy was cancelled at the last moment.

Lawyer Saddam Hossain said he filed the writ petition after receiving no response to the legal notice.