The abandoned cultural hub

Tangail's Bhasani Hall, a centre of entertainment and cultural events, has remained abandoned for the last three years, due to its worn-out condition.

Formerly known as Tangail Town Hall, the venue once buzzed with cultural activities and performances every year. Now, it has turned into a den of drug addicts.

Abul Fazal founded the hall in 1976, while Khan A Alam Khan, former Dhaka Divisional Commissioner, formally inaugurated it on April 2, 1978.  Fazal was the Education Advisor of the then President.

Later, the hall was mordernised under the supervision of Sheikh Habibullah, the former Deputy Commissioner in Tangail.

"We have not organised any performances since events at Bhasani Hall were suspended," said Talha Al Mahmud, General Secretary of Natyam, a prominent theatre troupe in Tangail.

Till the coronavirus outbreak, the Shaheed Minar and open stage of the Shaheed Srity Pouro Udyan in Tangail remained booked for political programmes on most days, he added.

"There have been no initiatives to restore and renovate Bhasani Hall, for the last three years," Mahmud said.

Singer Jalaluddin Shahin Chakladar, President of Awami Sangskritik Jote in Tangail, said that local cultural activists and artistes are deeply concerned about the abandonment of Bhasani Hall.

"We conveyed our concerns to local government officials as well as public representatives during meetings, and they assured us that they will take necessary steps in this regard," he said.

 Md Aminul Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) in Tangail, said that a proposal to mordenise Bhasani Hall was sent to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, after the venue was declared abandoned.  

"A team from the Ministry, along with local officials of Public Works Department (PWD), also visited the hall," he said.

Al Amin Mohammad Nurul Islam, Executive Engineer of PWD in Tangail, said that after visiting the hall, the team from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs directed them to conduct a survey to construct a cultural complex, in place of the hall.

"We conducted the survey, and sent the report to the Ministry several months ago. However, the process has not progressed due to the Covid-19 pandemic," he added.