Indian singer-songwriter Anupam Roy’s Dhaka concert has been cancelled for the second time after Bangladesh’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs withdrew its approval just two days before the event, citing “unavoidable reasons”.
The latest cancellation has left organisers facing significant financial losses and disappointed thousands of ticket holders, while also prompting questions on social media about why Roy’s concert was called off despite Pakistani singer Atif Aslam performing in Dhaka just a week earlier without disruption.
Roy was scheduled to perform at the One True Sound with Anupam Roy concert on 1 August at United Convention Centre near Dhaka’s airport.
According to organiser Triple Time Communication, all preparations had been completed and the necessary government approvals had been obtained before the ministry revoked the permission on 29 July.
The concert had previously been scheduled for 26 June but was also cancelled at the last minute.
After receiving fresh approval from the ministry on 20 July, organisers announced the new date and resumed ticket sales.
Managing Director Pritam Dey said the venue, which can accommodate around 2,500 people, had sold approximately 1,600 tickets.
Another 400 complimentary tickets were distributed, while 500 were allocated to sponsors. Each ticket was priced at Tk2,500.
According to the organisers, around 20 complimentary tickets were also provided to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and ministry officials had expressed interest in attending the concert.
Pritam said the company spent around Tk55 lakh during the first attempt and another Tk32 lakh for the rescheduled event, bringing total expenses to approximately Tk87 lakh.
The costs included the artist’s fee, venue booking, sound production, marketing, hotel accommodation and air travel.
He added that Roy had already been paid an appearance fee of around Tk24 lakh, while Tk8 lakh had been deposited as withholding tax with the National Board of Revenue on 24 May.
“After reviewing all our documents, the ministry granted permission on 20 July. But at around 9pm, just two days before the concert, we were informed that the event could not take place. The notice simply mentioned ‘unavoidable reasons’. We still have no idea what those reasons were,” Pritam said.
He added that the company alone paid Tk32 lakh in venue rental across the two scheduled dates.
“If we had been informed even a week earlier, we could have recovered at least part of that money. The last-minute decision has caused financial losses and damaged our reputation.”
The organisers said ticket holders from Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Jashore and Tangail had purchased tickets for the concert.
Refunds for all ticket holders will begin on Monday through the official ticketing platform.
The concert was also expected to feature legendary Bangladeshi band Miles. Band member Hamin Ahmed described the late cancellation as “unfortunate”.
“Last-minute cancellations not only cause financial losses for organisers but also affect their credibility. Simply citing ‘unavoidable reasons’ is not enough. If there were political or other specific reasons, they should have been clearly explained,” he said.
While declining to comment directly on comparisons with Atif Aslam’s recent concert, Hamin said the government should have clarified the reasons behind the cancellation to avoid public speculation.
Roy’s manager, Rana Singharoy, said all travel arrangements, including visas and flight tickets, had been completed before they were informed that permission had been withdrawn.
“This is the second time the concert has been cancelled. We were only told that approval had been revoked. No further explanation was given,” he said.
The cancellation notice was signed by Mohua Afroz, Senior Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
Speaking to the media, she said she had issued the notice under instruction and that senior ministry officials would be in a better position to explain the decision.
Attempts to obtain comments from the cultural affairs adviser, state minister and ministry secretary were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
