Rhythm and tune give listeners joy, tranquility and touch their hearts. Chittagong recently saw the completion of its third international Sufi Music Festival. The theme set for the festival was “music for life”. The visitors who attended the festival for two days, returned home with utmost contentment. The program was organized by Hatkhola Foundation at the gymnasium field of the MA Aziz Stadium. Although the stadium witnessed a small crowd on the first day, but the turnover on the second day was massive.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs, KM Khalid, was the chief guest on the opening day of the festival. Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin was the president of the function. As the special guest, Anindya Banerjee, Assistant High Commission of India, Chittagong was present. Hatkhola general secretary and festival organizer committee’s secretary Yousuf Muhammad spoke on the occasion. Among others, Secretary of the president's office Sampad Barua, panel mayor Chowdhury Hasan Mahmud Hasni, Sheikh Rabiul Haque, Jahirul Alam, Md. David Abdullah Liton, Md. Kamal Hossain, Md. Anwar Hossain, Mohammad Mamun and others were present on the day of the occasion.
Speakers from the audience claimed that music binds people with love and that it plays an important role to keep the country free of conflict and militancy. It also makes people liberal, humanistic and sympathetic. On behalf of the organizing institution, the Sufi artist was sent by the sponsors to the Indian Heart Commission, the ICCR and the Iranian Cultural Center, to show their appreciation. The organizers of the festival expressed their gratitude for the support, co-operation and participation of the people of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Chittagong City Corporation.
Artist Iqbal Haider performed on the first day of the festival, along with Atreyi Majumdar, Kolkata’s artists Jhumur, Farzana Karim and her team, Iranian team - Khalaf Ghoshi, and artist Sandipan. The Sufi Tanoura dance performances by artist Mohamed Ghareb, similar to the Darwish whirling dance done in the Levant and Turkey, were unprecedented for the people of Chittagong.
On the second day, musicians Deepankar De, Kushtia's Baul Razzak, Baul Rekha Shabnam, Sylhet's Kepa Baul, Baul Kala Mia, Sufi artist of Dhaka Hasan Shihabi, and India's famous ‘Sufi Poetry of India’ and his team excited the audience with their extraordinary performances.
Chairman of Chittagong District Council MA Salam and President of Hatkhola Foundation Syed Shafiq Uddin Ahmed expressed their gratitude to the artists, craftsmen, law enforcement agencies, fire service, power development authorities, WASA and associates on behalf of music and the Sufi Music Festival.
