Police didn't suspend theatre festival, internal disputes caused cancellation

Filmmaker and Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki clarified that the police did not suspend the Dhaka Metropolitan Theatre Festival, contrary to initial reports.

In a Facebook post on Monday, he revealed: "Internal conflicts within the theatre community led to the festival’s cancellation at Mahila Samiti in Dhaka.”
"I found out that the police never issued such an order. In fact, they released a statement last night, confirming that they did not ask anyone to cancel the festival and were ready to provide security," he wrote.

Farooki added: "We started investigating from yesterday (Saturday) evening. The government is actively promoting cultural events through Shilpakala Academy. Just yesterday three performances took place there, and today (Sunday) Prachyanat has a show scheduled. So why would the police shut down this festival?”

According to his findings, a group within the theatre community had been pressuring Mahila Samiti for days to cancel the venue booking, he said.

"These activists argued that the festival was being used as a platform for individuals linked to the July movement — who, through their statements, allegedly incited violence that led to student and civilian deaths. They demanded that before any reintegration, those responsible must be held accountable. As a result, Mahila Samiti authorities revoked the venue allocation yesterday (Saturday).”

Farooki criticized Mahila Samiti’s official statement, saying: "Instead of addressing the real issue, they initially tried to blame the police. Later, they vaguely mentioned that the festival was canceled due to a ‘mob.’ But they know exactly who opposed the event. Why did they avoid naming them and instead label them as a ‘mob’? Was this an attempt to create a certain narrative?"