Stone-Pelting During Faridpur School Anniversary Concert Leaves 25–30 People Injured
Violent stone-pelting injures dozens, forces cancellation of Bangladesh show.
A concert featuring renowned Bangladeshi rock singer James, frontman of the iconic band Nagar Baul, was abruptly cancelled on Friday night following a violent mob attack that disrupted the 185th anniversary celebrations of Faridpur Zilla School, resulting in at least 25 individuals sustaining injuries from stone-pelting and related chaos.
The performance was intended to serve as the grand finale for the two-day anniversary programme held on the school premises in Faridpur district, with the singer scheduled to take the stage around 9:30 pm to conclude the festivities that included cultural events and a raffle draw.
Reports indicate that a large crowd of unregistered outsiders assembled near the venue upon hearing about the concert, which organisers had explicitly restricted to current and former students with proper registration. Denied entry, the group reportedly resorted to aggressive actions, including attempts to scale the boundary wall, hurling bricks and stones into the school grounds, and efforts to overrun the stage area.
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Students and attendees inside the premises mounted resistance against the intruders, successfully repelling the attack, though the barrage of projectiles caused injuries to between 25 and 30 people, including 15 to 20 students, according to statements from event organisers and local media outlets.
The deteriorating security situation prompted the Faridpur district administration to intervene, leading to an announcement around 10:00 pm by the organising committee convener that the headline performance had been cancelled on official instructions, marking an unfortunate end to the celebrations for one of Bangladesh's oldest and most prestigious government institutions, established in 1840 during British colonial rule.
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