A concert marking the 185th founding anniversary of Faridpur Zilla School descended into chaos on Friday night, forcing the cancellation of a much-anticipated performance by rock icon Nagarbaul James.
The day-long reunion and cultural programme had drawn a large crowd of alumni and locals, with James scheduled to take the stage at 9:00 pm. However, the event was disrupted when unregistered outsiders allegedly attacked the venue by throwing bricks and stones to breach the school premises. Amid growing unrest and security concerns, the organisers announced the cancellation of the concert, and James left without performing.
Speaking to the media, James described the incident as “complete mismanagement and failure of the organisers”.
Rubaiyat Thakur Robin, spokesperson for Nagarbaul and James, said the artist and his team reached Faridpur around 7:30 pm and were staying at the River Research Institute guest house. “We learned about the chaos after it began. When the situation worsened around 10:30 pm, we were officially informed that the programme had been cancelled. For security reasons, we then returned to Dhaka,” he said.
According to the organising committee, the reunion was restricted to registered former and current students. However, news of James’s performance drew several thousand unregistered spectators, who gathered outside the school premises along Mujib Road. Despite the installation of two large projectors outside the venue, tensions escalated when sections of the crowd attempted to climb the school wall around 9:30 pm. When attempts to disburse the vandalisers, they allegedly began hurling bricks at the stage and audience inside.
At least 25 to 30 people were injured, including students and organisers, after bricks were thrown into the school grounds. Some intruders reportedly managed to enter the premises, leading to scuffles with students.
As the situation deteriorated, the convener of the organising committee, Dr Mustafizur Rahman Shamim, announced shortly before 10 pm that James’s performance was being cancelled on the instructions of the Deputy Commissioner, citing the inability to ensure public safety.
Faridpur Kotwali Police Station officer-in-charge Mohammad Shahidul Islam said an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 people had gathered after news of James’s appearance spread, far exceeding the venue’s capacity. “When outsiders were barred from entry, unrest grew, leaving the organisers with no option but to cancel the concert,” he said.
Most of the injured were treated at local hospitals and later discharged.
