Tangail (Bangladesh) February 13 (Prothom Alo): A programme commemorating Fakir Lalon Shah in Tangail’s Madhupur upazila has been cancelled due to protest of two organizations.
The programme was supposed to be held at Madhupur Bus Stand at 8:00pm on Wednesday. Lalon Sangha, the organiser of the event, announced to call off the programme due to unavoidable reasons. The announcement was made this afternoon.
Md Sabuj Mia, convener of the organising committee of the event, in a Facebook post alleged the event has been cancelled due to obstruction of Hefazat-e-Islam and Ulama Parishad Madhupur unit.
Sabuj Mia wrote that the Lalon Sangha organised two large-scale Lalon music events at the Madhupur bus stand since its inception in 2017. The Upazila Nirbahi Officer was made the chief guest at this year’s event and the arrangements were going on in full swing. But the organisers suddenly received information that Hefazat-e-Islam had objected to the event. They contacted local Hefazat leaders and a meeting was arranged on the afternoon of 11 February. Upazila Hefazat president Mufti Anwar Hossain, general secretary Mawlana Mahmudullah, and Qawmi Ulama Parishad president Mawlana Solaiman Qasemi, were among 10-15 members present at the meeting. Lalon Sangha president Farhad Hossain Tarafdar and Sobuj Mia himself were present at the meeting. Madhupur upazila BNP president Zakir Hossain Sarkar was present as the mediator.
Farhad and Sobuj said leaders of these Islamist parties told them that Lalon’s ideology goes against the principles of Islam and they will bar propagation of this wrong ideology in Madhupur. The organisers tried to convince the protesters that there has been no discussion about Lalon’s ideology in the past and that won’t happen this time too, but they didn’t budge. The event has been postponed to prevent the overall law and order situation in Madhupur from deteriorating.
Meanwhile, Hefazat-e-Islam Madhupur unit’s general secretary Mahmudullah confirmed the development and said that they raised objections as the event was contrary to Islam.
It was not possible to talk to Qawmi Ulama Parishad Madhupur unit’s Soleman Qasemi as his mobile was switched off.
Imranul Kabir, officer-in-charge of Madhupur police station, said he was on leave and said, “I came here on Wednesday afternoon and heard that the Islamist parties have obstructed the event.”
Madhupur UNO Mirza Zubair Hossain said that he heard that the programme was postponed following discussion between the two parties. He is not aware if anyone obstructed the event.
Lalon was against all sorts of discrimination, said Farida Akhter at a commoration last October
Terming Lalon Shah as an anti-discriminatory person, fisheries and livestock ministry adviser Farida Akhter has said Lalon Shah raised his voices against all sorts of discrimination 134 years back.
“This Bengali philosopher and Baul saint (Lalon Shah) had spoken against all sorts of discrimination 134 years ago,” the adviser said on Thursday night while speaking at Lalon Akhra at Chheuriya of Kumarkhali in Kushtia district as the chief guest.
She was addressing the programme marking the 134th death anniversary of Fakir Lalon Shah, the most prominent figure in the country’s baul tradition.
The adviser urged Lalon Academy for preservation and research of all the speeches of Lalon Shah so that the next generation can know him properly.
Marking the death anniversary, Farida Akhter inaugurated the Lalon festival with Lalon Academy president and acting deputy commissioner of Kushtia Sharmin Akhtar in the chair.
Lalon Academy organised the festival in collaboration with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and district administration.
At the inauguration ceremony, secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider, poet, writer and philosopher Farhad Mazhar, former member of parliament heroic freedom fighter Syed Mehdi Ahmed Roomy and superintendent of police Md Mizanur Rahman, among others, were present.
Professor of Bangla Department at Islamic University Dr. Md Rashiduzzaman was present as the main discussant.
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