Stage for Pahela Baishakh celebration vandalised in Chattogram
A group of people vandalised the stage set up for Pahela Baishakh in Chattogram’s DC Hill this evening.
The attack was carried out around 7:15pm as a group of 40- 50 people took out a procession and vandalised the chairs and tables around the stage.
At that time, they warned that they would not allow holding the Pahela Baishakh programme on DC Hill until Sheikh Hasina was hanged.
The Bangla New Year programme is being held here under the banner of the Sammilito Pahela Baishakh Udjapan Parishad for 47th year. After the vandalism, the Parishad has decided not to hold the New Year programme at DC Hill this time. The Parishad alleges that the vandalism occurred due to the administration’s non-cooperation.
Before the vandalism, a list of 20 organisations was given to the organisers by the district administration office at 4:30pm. The administration banned those organisations from taking the stage, accusing them of being fascist sympathisers. Earlier in the morning, an organisation called Sammilito Bangla Noboborsho Udjapan Mancha organised a human chain in front of the DC office.
The human chain was organised under the banner of ‘Protest against holding Bangla New Year celebration led by known stooges of fascist Hasina’. Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sanghstha (JASAS), the cultural wing of BNP, mainly organised the protest. In the memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner (DC), the platform demanded the authorities impose a ban on these particular organisations.
The organisers alleged those who put forth these allegations were behind the attack. Parishad’s member secretary Mohammad Ali said a procession of around 40 people came to the spot chanting slogans against Hasina. At one stage they took to the stage and vandalised it. Some people who were present at the meeting at the DC office were also among the vandals. They left the scene around 15 minutes later.
Kotwali police station’s officer in charge Abdul Karim said the attackers hurriedly left the scene after carrying out vandalism. The incident is being investigated.
Asked, Parishad’s coordinator Sucharit Das said, “We won’t organise Pahela Baishakh celebration on Monday. Those who brought allegations against different organisations carried out the vandalism. A programme cannot be arranged this way. Administration dilly dallied to allow us permission from the beginning. The administration’s non-cooperation led to today’s vandalism.”
JASAS’ member secretary and Nababarsha Udjapan Mancha’s organiser Mamunur Rashid (Shipon) said, “They want to bring back Hasina. Those who arranged the programme at DC Hill are allies (of Awami League). We held a human chain and submitted a memorandum to the DC. We are not aware of the vandalism.”
Md Alamgir Hossain, deputy commissioner (south) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, told Prothom Alo at around 8:45pm that six people have been detained so far over the vandalism.