A colourful cultural rally in east London has drawn attention to growing concern among members of the Bangladeshi diaspora over what they describe as increasing pressure on artists and the weakening of arts education in Bangladesh.
The event, organised by Bangladesh Udichi Shilpi Gosthi UK Parliament, took place on Saturday afternoon at the Shaheed Minar in Altab Ali Park, a symbolic gathering point for expatriate cultural activists. While framed as a political demonstration, the rally leaned heavily on performance, poetry and collective expression, reflecting the group’s long-standing identity as a cultural resistance movement.
Participants voiced frustration at the recent decision to halt recruitment of music and physical education teachers in Bangladeshi primary schools. Speakers argued that the move undermines cultural literacy and risks sidelining creative subjects that help shape social identity from a young age.
The rally also condemned the arrest and reported harassment of Baul artists in Bangladesh. Attendees said the treatment of Bauls, whose spiritual songs form a distinct part of Bengali heritage, represented a troubling trend for artistic freedom. Concerns were additionally raised about the government’s long-term leasing of ports to foreign entities, which speakers framed as part of a broader erosion of national control over cultural and economic resources.
Chaired by Sheikh Nurul Islam and moderated by Selina Shafi, the event featured remarks from cultural organisers, writers and activists including Rafiqul Hasan Khan Jinnah, Abid Ali, Urmi Mazhar, Dr Akhtar Subhan Khan Masrur, Gopal Das and Munira Parveen.
Throughout the afternoon, performers from Udichi and the Satyen Sen School of Performing Arts interspersed political messages with mass songs and recitations by Shah Sharif Uddin and Jannatul Ferdousi Dolly. Organisers said the fusion of culture and protest was intentional, aiming to assert that safeguarding the arts is inseparable from safeguarding democratic space.
