Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi has strongly protested a report published by Amar Desh on Sunday, under the headline “Awami League’s soft power fully active on the ground”, which described the cultural organization as the Awami League’s “soft power” and “cultural front”.
In a joint statement, Udichi Acting President Mahmud Selim and General Secretary Amit Ranjan Dey condemned what they described as politically motivated labelling, one-sided presentation and deliberate language in the report.
They said Udichi was not the cultural front of any political party, nor was it a tool for any party to gain or retain power.
Since its establishment in 1968, Udichi has played a consistent role in struggles for people's rights, democracy, secularism, free thought and cultural freedom, they said.
From protesting against authoritarian rule in Pakistan to opposing military rule, autocracy, communalism, political repression and various forms of state and social injustice in independent Bangladesh, Udichi has consistently raised its voice, the statement said.
“Udichi's history is not the history of any single political party; it is the history of the cultural struggle of the people of this country,” the statement said.
It added that regardless of which government or political force was in power, Udichi had spoken out, and would continue to speak out, against actions that undermined people's rights and freedom of thought.
The organization said opposing injustice by any government was part of its cultural responsibility, while identifying a cultural organisation with a particular political party was contrary to independent cultural practice.
The statement also criticised the report for linking Udichi's anniversary celebrations and greetings from various individuals to a particular political narrative.
It said the presence of individuals at an event or their congratulatory remarks could not be used as a basis for determining the political identity of an independent cultural organisation.
Udichi said its programs remained open to people from different ideological, political and social backgrounds, adding that such openness should not be portrayed as evidence of political allegiance.
The organization further warned that attempts to discredit cultural organizations by attaching political labels posed a threat to democratic society and the freedom of cultural expression.
It said freedom of expression, the right to organise and the right to conduct cultural activities were constitutional and democratic rights of citizens, not privileges granted by any political party.
Reiterating its position, Udichi said it did not believe in blind allegiance to any political party. Instead, its principles were rooted in justice, equality, human dignity, the spirit of the Liberation War, secularism and democratic values.
The statement said Udichi had protested against injustices by those in power in the past and would continue to do so, pledging to oppose authoritarian tendencies, fascism, communalism, discrimination and cultural repression in the future.
The organization also called for responsible journalism, stressing that media freedom must be accompanied by accuracy, impartiality and relevance in reporting.
It said attempts to undermine the legacy and longstanding contributions of a historic cultural organization through politically motivated labelling were unacceptable.