Music Alliance Bangladesh (Sangeet Oikya Bangladesh) has cancelled its upcoming "National Music Festival and Conference" in Sylhet due to the catastrophic flood in the division.
The month-long festival and conference were scheduled to be held on June 24 at Sylhet Shilpakala Academy.
The final programme of the festival and the national conference will be held in Dhaka - Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on July 16. Cultural Affairs State Minister K M Khalid inaugurated the festival. Speaking as the chief guest, he said, “20,000 musicians were assisted during the Corona period. When I was in charge of the ministry, there was 30 crore BDT in the special assistance fund for artists. Now the fund has been raised to 50 crores.” He has also assured to consider the demands of the artists.
Presided over by Sangeet Oikya Bangladesh president Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, President of Geetikabi Sangha Bangladesh Shahid Mahmud Jangi was present at the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Rezwana Choudhury Bannya said, “For 50 years, lyricists, composers, and singers were deprived of their due respect and remuneration. Sangeet Oikya Bangladesh is working to overcome this situation.”
Shahid Mahmud Jangi, one of the general secretaries of the organisation and president of Geetikabi Sangha Bangladesh, said due to the worst floods in two decades in northeastern Bangladesh, Music Alliance Bangladesh feels the urge to stand by the people by not holding any festival or conference.
Kumar Biswajit, another secretary general of Sangeet Oikya Bangladesh, said, “This is our initiative for everyone involved in the music arena. We urge everyone to work together to make this initiative a success.”
According to Shahid Mahmud Jangi, the next festivals will be held on June 24 and July 1 at Sylhet District Shilpakala Academy and Barishal District Shilpakala Academy respectively. The final programme of the festival and the national conference will be held in Dhaka - Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on July 16.
The entire festival and conference are sponsored by the Ministry of Culture.
