Objections raised on participation of Bangladeshi singer in Bengal festival

Kolkata, Dec 4 In wake of the ongoing attack on the minority Hindus and insult to the Tricolor in neighbouring Bangladesh, a group of citizens have raised objections on the scheduled participation of a popular Bangladeshi singer at an annual cultural event organised in West Bengal.

Every year Madhyamgram Municipality in North 24 Parganas district organises its annual event of “Paribesh Mela” and the main attraction of the programme is the cultural event, in which popular singers and band groups from both India and Bangladesh participate.

The scheduled cultural programme on December 28 had the name of the popular Bangladeshi singer Rezwana Choudhury Bannya as one of the participants.

However, the members of Madhyamgram Nagarikbrinda, a civil society group in the Madhyamgram Municipality area have raised objections to the participation of Bannya in the event.

The group has even issued an appeal through social media requesting the authorities of Madhyamgram Municipality not include the popular Bangladeshi singer in this year’s cultural event.

“This is an appeal to Madhyamgram Municipality as Indian citizens so that the scheduled musical participation of Rezwana Choudhury Bannya in the event on the occasion of Paribesh Mela on December 28. The country comes first. Please give it a thought,” the appeal has read.

The appeal has been flooded with comments supporting the demand raised by the civil society group. “Entry to India should be totally banned for them. We need to display a strong approach towards those who insult our Tricolor,” a comment by an admin of the civil society group read.

A group admin has also pointed out that not a single personality from the cultural world in Bangladesh has raised their voices of protest against the attack and atrocities on the minority Hindus there.

“Rather they indirectly supported it. In such a situation, their participation in the cultural events of West Bengal is not acceptable,” he said.