The Sharat Utsab (Autumn Festival) organised by Satyen Sen Shilpigoshthi at the Bakul Tala of Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Arts has been postponed, not cancelled, following what the university described as “many objections” and “concerns over possible unrest.” The information was confirmed to Prothom Alo on Friday by Professor Azharul Islam, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts.
Last year’s Autumn Festival was held on 4 October, 2024, at the same venue, organised by Satyen Sen Shilpigoshthi — a cultural organisation with a long-standing association with the event. The festival has been celebrated at the Faculty of Fine Arts for the past 19 years, reports Prothom Alo.
This year, as in previous years, the group had completed all preparations for the event when it was suddenly postponed. Speaking to Prothom Alo, Manjar Chowdhury (Sweet), General Secretary of Satyen Sen Shilpigoshthi, said he was shocked by the decision. We have been accused of being collaborators of fascism, even though I have never had any connection whatsoever with the Awami League or any political party, he said.
He added, “This festival is about celebrating nature. It has nothing to do with the Awami League, BNP, or Jamaat. We have been organising it for years, and we are not some makeshift or dubious group. The sudden postponement sends a bad message to the world.”
Commenting on the issue, Dean Azharul Islam told Prothom Alo, “The event has been postponed, not cancelled. It will be held at a later date. We will hold a meeting tomorrow to decide on the next steps.”
Explaining the reason for the postponement, he said, “After many objections describing the organisers as ‘collaborators of fascism,’ and following indications of potential unrest, we decided to temporarily postpone the event. We received multiple phone calls from various quarters saying that allowing such people to hold a festival would lead to trouble. In that context, we were compelled to make this decision.”
