Qawwali event at DU foiled

A Qawwali performance at TSC on Dhaka University campus yesterday was foiled allegedly by Bangladesh Chhatra League activists.

A group of BCL men vandalised the stage, chairs and beat up the programme organisers and some students, said witnesses.

They also barred journalists from taking footage of the incident with their mobile phones.

Seeking anonymity, a DU student said, "The programme was scheduled to start at 6:00pm today. But a group of Chhatra League activists earlier asked the organisers to stop it."

The organisers alleged that the attack was carried out on the instructions of Saddam Hossain, general secretary of DU BCL.

One of the organisers, Meer Huzaifa Al-Mamduh, said, "We, some students of the university, jointly organised the programme. We earlier took permission from the university authorities. But the authorities suddenly in the morning asked us not to hold the event."

Contacted, Saddam denied the allegation of BCL men's involvement in the attack.

DU Proctor Prof AKM Golam Rabbani said they asked the organisers to stop the event considering the Covid-19 situation.