Registration closes for Folk Fest

Online Registration for the hotly-anticipated second edition of the Dhaka International Folk Fest, (scheduled November 10-12 at the Army Stadium) closed on Saturday, less than five days after opening. Like last year, the event, as announced on October 30, is free to all but a registration is required. Registration opened at 6pm on November 1, and closed shortly after 1pm on November 5, according to the Festival's official Facebook page. The page yesterday posted that their registration capacity was full in the short time, prompting them to close the registration. 

Many people responded on the page saying they could not register, or did not get a confirmation. Registration numbers were limited for every day as well; according to the Facebook page, only a definite numbers of registration were allowed per day, and interested people were asked to try the next day if they could not register on their first try. 

The organisers, however, did not disclose the number of registered participants, when contacted. 

The massive interest in the festival among the general people can be attributed to last year's festival that saw some big names of folk music perform: Farida Parveen, Momtaz, Rob Fakir, Shafi Mondal and Kiron Chandra Roy from Bangladesh, and Paban Das Baul, Parbathy Baul, Arko Mukherjee, Abida Parveen and Saieen Zahoor from abroad.  Bangladeshi artistes performing this year will be Momtaz, Bari Siddiqui, Baul Shafi Mondal, Tuntun Baul, Abdur Rahman Baul, Latif Sarkar, Sunil Karmakar, Islam Uddin Kissakar, Shahnaz Beli, Labik Kamal Gourab, Taposh and Friends and Jalal (flute). However, organisers said they will announce the names of the foreign performers only on the days of the festival. 

The Dhaka International Folk Fest is presented by Meril, in association with GP Music, powered by Dhaka Bank and supported by Microsoft. Sun Events is organising the event.