Cultural activists stage symbolic protest by cutting hair at prog commemorating Farida Parveen
Cultural activists in Mymensingh protested publicly against the recent forcible cutting of various individuals’ hair by staging a symbolic demonstration at a programme commemorating late legendary artiste Farida Parveen.
The event took place along the Brahmaputra riverside in Shilpacharya Zainul Udyan on Friday morning.
The memorial programme, organised by the cultural organisation Parampara, featured banners reading, “O Allah, I leave everything to you: Attacks on shrine culture and oppression of people must be condemned.”
The symbolic hair-cutting was in response to a widely circulated social media video showing Halim Uddin Akand, locally known as Halim Fakir from Tarakanda, being forcibly shorn by several individuals.
At the start of the programme, the hair of organiser and poet Shamim Ashraf — president of Parampara — was cut in protest.
The event began at the Boroi Tola area along the Brahmaputra riverside at 6:00 am.
In his opening remarks, Shamim Ashraf said, “Through this act, we express our protest. Over the past few days, we have witnessed an incident where three people forcibly cut a man’s long hair. During the assault, he repeatedly said, ‘O Allah, I leave everything to you.’ Through this statement, we register our opposition to attacks on shrine culture and the oppression faced by artists and cultural practitioners.”
The programme also featured Farida Parveen’s photographs placed among Boroi trees, with lines from her songs such as “Ami opar hoye boshe achhi”, “Milon hobe koto dine”, “Jat gelo jat gelo bole”, and “Somoy gele sadhon hobe na” displayed on the branches.
Artists performed on a white cloth laid on the ground, with young performers leading the singing. The event continued until 10:00 am.
Among those attending were Surgat Talukdar, who paused his morning walk at Zainul Udyan to listen to the songs.
He said, “The nation is grieving the passing of Farida Parveen, a devotee of Lalon, who took the songs of Lalon to the global stage. Parampara’s tribute today is wonderful.”
Researcher Swapan Dhar also attended to listen to the music of Lalon. He remarked, “Humanism has washed away all forms of narrow-mindedness over time. We call Lalon’s followers as lunatics, but they neither take bribes nor speak falsely.”
Shamim Ashraf added, “Mymensingh is a city of artists and culture. Today’s event is a response to unwanted incidents affecting shrine culture and the artistic community. On the passing of such a great figure Farida Parveen, no nationwide tribute was held, so we attempted a modest remembrance.”
Artist Khairul Islam said, “Legendary singer Farida Parveen has carried Lalon songs to global audiences. Today, we pay our respects and pledge that the younger generation across the country will continue promoting this music.”
Spectator Joya Barman expressed her admiration, saying, “I was walking in the park and was impressed by the event. We hope Lalon’s songs continue to spread among us. Farida Parveen presented them in a way that transcends social divisions, and the younger generation should ensure they endure for generations.”