Two detained from outside of Shilpakala Academy gate
An urgent press conference was organised today, Saturday in protest of the sudden attack on protest prgramme of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation on Friday.
While the press briefing was going on, police detained two people on allegation of causing chaos in front of the gate of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The detainees are identified as Mahiuddin Hridoy, 38, and Russel, 42.
Protesting the show of a play titled ‘Nityapuran’ being stopped midway in the face of demonstration by a group of people, the theatre activists were continuing a rally in front of the Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka on Friday afternoon.
During that protest rally of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation, some unidentified persons flung eggs there. Protesting that incident, the urgent press conference was organised on behalf of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation today, Saturday.
When the press conference was continuing inside, quite a few youths were carrying out processions and chanting slogans with placards in their hands outside of the academy. The police tried to bring the situation to normalcy at the time. Later, police detained two persons from the scene for interrogation.
Police personnel present at the spot stated that when the press conference of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation was going on inside Shilpakala, some youth gathered outside of the gate. The police later dispersed them from there. At the time, two people were detained and taken to Ramna police station for interrogation, they added.
Witnesses said that it was about 5:00 pm on Friday and the rally of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation was also nearing closure. Right when playwright and actor Mamunur Rashid was giving a speech, eggs were flung at the rally from the direction of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) building.
Theatre activists participating in the rally ran towards that direction. When the racket stopped after continuing for a few minutes, Mamunur Rashid finished his speech and the organisers continued the rally.
Demanding to stop a show of the play ‘Nityapuran’ by ‘Desh Natok’ company, a group of people demonstrated in front of the Shilpakala Academy building on 2 November.
Under this circumstance, the Shilpakala Academy authorities stopped that play midway considering the safety of the audience. Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation had organised the rally on Friday in protest of that incident.
More than a hundred theatre activists participated in that rally held in front of the entrance to the Shilpakala Academy. After the eggs were thrown at the rally Mamunur Rashid said in his speech, “We will not cut the rally short. Shows will continue inside, we will be on guard outside. We will see the end of these miscreants.”
Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation general secretary (Dhaka city), Tapan Hafiz told Prothom Alo, “Our rally was nearing end. In the meantime, some miscreants ambushed us throwing eggs from the back.”
In protest of the incident, Bangladesh Group Thetare Federation has announced protest rallies throughout the country on 15 November. It has been stated on behalf of them that that a show of a play was going at the Shilpakala today and they will stay at the spot until that show has been finished.
Among others, Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation acting chairman Lucky Enam, general secretary Kamal Bayazid, head of ‘Desh Natok’ theatre company Masum Reza, professor Malay Bhowmick also spoke during the protest.