After Daytime Cancellation Announcement, Baul Gathering Held at Night in Sunamganj's Hatiya, Women Artistes Sang, Night Passed Peacefully

Although it had been announced that there would be no daytime song gathering with women artistes in Hatiya village of Kulanj Union in Derai upazila of Sunamganj, a Baul song gathering was held there on Thursday night. In the all-night event, organised at home with the cooperation of locals, several women artistes performed songs, and the gathering ended without any untoward situation.

The organiser of the gathering is UK expatriate Shawkat Ali. He arranged the Baul song gathering, or urs, in a homely setting in his own yard in memory of his late grandfather. He also performed songs himself at the event.

The controversy began over the location of the venue. There are a mosque, a madrasa and a shrine near the organiser's house. Expressing fear of obscene songs being performed by women artistes, two local youths, Atahar Ali Rahat and Kamrul Islam, demanded the event be stopped. They also submitted a written application to Derai police station on the matter.

Facing objections from one side, it had been decided not to hold the song event during the day on Thursday — and that is the news that spread earlier, that the gathering had been cancelled. But at night Shawkat Ali did hold the gathering at his own home, and women artistes were also reported to have performed there.

Derai police station Officer-in-Charge Aminul Islam said one side of Kulanj village had applied to the police station expressing fear of religious sentiment being hurt. The organiser and the complainants were spoken to on the matter. Due to the objection, Shawkat Ali first said he would not organise the singing, but later held the event at night at his own home. Women artistes also sang there, it has been learned, and there was no problem over it.

In his opening speech at the gathering, organiser Shawkat Ali criticised those who opposed the song event. He said a side had spread propaganda that he would arrange jatra and ghatu songs; he also commented that their intention was not good. However, the organiser expressed satisfaction at being able to hold the event despite the opposition.

On the other hand, complainant Kamrul Islam said they had applied to the police station with the aim of preventing obscenity in the name of song. But he claimed nobody obstructed the event.

Kamrul Islam said everyone in their village is Muslim; the village has a mosque, a madrasa and the shrine of a saint. Never before had songs been performed by women artistes in the village. They are not against song, rather they demanded a stop to obscene songs being performed by women artistes. He also said the police were informed about the singing by women artistes at night.

He further said they respect the law. In the end the event finished peacefully — this statement by the complainant himself makes it clear that despite objections, nobody took the law into their own hands.

Kulanj Union Parishad chairman Ekrar Hossain said that since childhood he has seen Shawkat Ali arrange song gatherings in a homely setting at his home whenever he returns to the country; he is an enthusiast. He had heard there would be no singing during the day on Thursday; later he learned that songs were held at night there and women artistes also sang. There was no disorder over it. However, he learned that an application objecting to the event had been submitted to the police station.

The Derai-Shalla region of Sunamganj is known for its Baul tradition — in this land steeped in the memory of Baul emperor Shah Abdul Karim, Baul song is deeply rooted in local culture. In that very region, objections over a homely Baul gathering, an application to the police station and the tussle over cancellation have created widespread discussion at the local level.

The most significant aspect of the incident is its peaceful outcome. The decision not to hold the gathering during the day, the gathering in the home yard at night, the participation of women artistes — in the accounts of police and locals, no disorder occurred anywhere. The objecting side also says they did not obstruct.

So the Baul gathering in Hatiya village was finally held — through objections and discussion. It remains to be seen where local understanding over such cultural events in the area settles after this incident.