The Shobar Agey Bangladesh Foundation, a pro-BNP social and cultural organization, has announced that it will hold its Swadhinata Concert at four venues simultaneously on Saturday, instead of the previously planned date of Friday, to support protests against mass killings and severe human rights violations in the Gaza Strip.
Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, president of the organization and joint secretary general of the BNP, made the announcement while speaking to reporters after a meeting with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner.
"Swadhinata Concert of Shobar Agey Bangladesh was initially scheduled for April 11, not only in Dhaka but also in Chittagong, Khulna, and Bogra,” said Anee.
“But we will all unite this Friday to participate in a procession protesting the heinous and barbaric genocide in the Gaza Strip. So we have decided to reschedule the concert to April 12," he added.
Anee said the concert will now take place simultaneously across four divisional cities, including Dhaka, on Saturday.
He said the Shobar Agey Bangladesh Foundation strongly condemns and protests the ongoing genocide and brutal attacks in Gaza and Rafah, Palestine, by Israeli occupying forces.
Anee also expressed the organization’s full solidarity with the global protests against the atrocities in Gaza, calling for an end to the genocide in Palestine.
“As Shobar Agey Bangladesh has demonstrated its protest against the genocide in Palestine by deferring its program, we will continue our protest language through our concerts on Saturday,” he said.
Anee said Bangladeshi artists will perform at the concerts, showcasing local songs and culture. “Regional songs will also be featured. We prioritize the interests of Bangladesh, which is why the foundation is organizing this event above all else.”
Earlier, a delegation from Shobar Agey Bangladesh, led by Anee, met DMP Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali at his office, seeking law enforcement’s full cooperation to ensure the smooth organization of the concert.
On March 27, the Shobar Agey Bangladesh Foundation announced it would hold the Swadhinata Concert on April 11 in four divisional cities, including Dhaka, from 3pm to 11pm.
This organization had previously organized the Bijoy Concert on Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka last December to commemorate Victory Day.