A concert for all Bangladesh, beyond politics
From folk to rock, Shobar Agey Bangladesh’s Victory Day concert showcased the unity and diversity of Bangladeshi music, bringing hundreds of thousands together in celebration
One of the most iconic moments captured in rock music history is the 1991 photograph of Metallica performing at an airfield in Moscow. Despite being an American band, that day they played to an audience of 1.6 million people in what was hailed as "the first free outdoor Western rock concert in Soviet history."
In a similar spirit, Bangladeshis pulled such a stunt of their own on 16 December, nearly four months after the ouster of Awami League regime, which has been dubbed as the second independence by many. As a part of their Victory Day celebrations, hundreds of thousands gathered for a free, open-to-all concert at Dhaka's Manik Mia Avenue. From morning until late evening, the Shobar Agey Bangladesh concert dished out a hearty dose of Bangladeshi music, spanning different genres and bringing together artists from different ages together.
Shobar Agey Bangladesh featured a star-studded lineup that spanned the entire spectrum of Bangladeshi music. From award-winning playback singers like Kanak Chapa and folk favourites such as Aleya Begum, to present day pop stars like Xefer and Pritom Hasan, and classic bands like Souls and Ark, it also included modern rock powerhouses such as Artcell and Avoid Rafa. Topping it all off was the legendary Mahfuz Anam James, making the event a true celebration of "all things Bangladeshi music."
Concerts featuring such an impressive lineup of artists and drawing an extraordinary crowd are rare in a country where most events typically attract around 50,000 people. This will make it easy for you to see why the organisers of the Shobar Agey Bangladesh concert, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), sound highly appreciative of themselves for pulling the largest concert in Bangladesh in years.
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But before Shobar Agey Bangladesh the concert, there was the formation of Shobar Agey Bangladesh the organisation.
It began with a call for a virtual meeting sometime in mid-November from Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the BNP. His vision was to create a working body that aims to reignite the cultural soul of Bangladesh and restore a stage for local artists long overshadowed. And from this resolve, a new institution was born— Shobar Agey Bangladesh.
Spearheaded by Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, a former member of parliament and joint secretary of BNP for a long time, Shobar Agey Bangladesh set out with a 12-member team and the first opportunity to realise their vision presented itself on Victory Day.
"We founded Shobar Agey Bangladesh because we felt the people of Bangladesh were stifled in celebrating their own culture over the past decade or so," said Anee.
"At its core, the organisation is about uniting the whole of Bangladesh through our cultural heritage and we wanted to have an absolute festive celebration of Bangla songs. Hence, the Victory Day concert."
Over the past fifteen years, the organisers had observed a growing influence of foreign cultures, particularly Indian music and artists, which had deeply resonated with Bangladeshi audiences. While acknowledging the universal nature of music, they felt it was time to reclaim and celebrate our own musical heritage.
"Yes, music knows no borders," said Ehasan Mahamud, a journalist and member of Shobar Agey Bangladesh. "But that should never come at the expense of losing touch with our roots. We've noticed a growing disconnect between our youth and the rich history of Bangladeshi music and local musicians. That's why we wanted to bring together the biggest names from various Bangla genres—rock, folk, and contemporary music — for the crowd."
"Our local performers are as capable as foreign artists in entertaining Bangladesh's music fans. We don't need to look outwards for entertainment. We want to uphold our own country, that's the main concept," said Sultan Salauddin Tuku, publicity secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
With the lineup of 20 odd bands and artists finalised, the organisers faced their next challenge— securing a suitable venue. The only hurdle? The city lacked a space capable of accommodating the massive, ambitious crowd they anticipated for 16 December.
Shobar Agey Bangladesh initially aimed for an audience of over six to seven hundred thousand. While no precise statistics exist to confirm the exact turnout, anyone who has seen the overhead drone footage of Manik Mia Avenue that day would agree the phrase "filled to the brim" was no exaggeration.
No stadium or venue in the city could indeed handle such an enormous crowd, and with Suhrawardy Udyan off the table, Manik Mia Avenue emerged as the only viable option. Its expansive length and width made it ideal for accommodating the maximum number of fans.
However, the decision to host a concert at such a critical city landmark raised questions. How practical was it to choose a location that serves as a key connecting point in the city? The two-day preparation and event inevitably caused severe gridlocks, leaving commuters stuck in suffocating, static traffic jams.
"The 16th was a public holiday, so commuting wasn't an issue that day. While setting up caused some inconvenience, everything was back to normal by the 17th morning. We ensured the area was cleaned and organised, avoiding disruption to daily life," explained Anee.
In our conversation with the two organisers, we explored the challenges of enhancing the fan experience at concerts in Dhaka, particularly for large-scale events. Makeshift venues present additional hurdles, and for concerts lasting over eight or nine hours, providing basic amenities, facilities, and adequate security becomes essential.
"We made efforts to provide necessities like drinking water, mobile toilets, and snack stalls, but catering to hundreds of thousands of people is simply not feasible," Ehasan admitted.
The organisers emphasised that all necessary steps were taken, including notifying the city corporation, engaging local law enforcement, and deploying over 400 personnel from the Elite Security Force. However, with a crowd of this magnitude, no security arrangement could ever feel fully adequate in terms of crowd control.
Crowd control proved to be a significant challenge, as fans kept pouring in, many pushing forward to catch a closer glimpse of their favorite stars on stage. The overzealous crowd ultimately caused Artcell, a band thousands had waited hours to see, to miss their performance.
They couldn't make it to the stage due to the overwhelming pressure, and the frequent appearances of volunteers every 20 minutes urging the crowd to step back added to the chaotic experience.
Complicating matters further, a child got separated from their parents in the crowd—a testament to the immense challenge any security team faces when managing such an enormous gathering.
"Perhaps for future concerts, we'll opt for a more concise artist lineup to ensure everyone gets proper stage time and focus on better crowd management," Ehasan suggested.
Anee feels that although it was a successful first outing, he and his pool of members return with a lot of lessons as to how to manage the situation differently from now on.
"We plan to be more strategic and creative with the placement of giant LED screens to ensure fans across the venue have a clear visual experience. Additionally, I believe we can make the event more female-friendly by implementing specific measures, and I'm confident we'll achieve that in future shows," said Anee.
Before wrapping up our conversation, Anee made it a point to clarify the BNP's involvement in the concert. While the event was indeed organised by the party, he emphasised that its purpose and execution transcended political affiliation.
"Yes, it was organised by the BNP, but it was for all of Bangladesh. None of our leaders were involved during the show, and you wouldn't have seen a single banner or slogan of the BNP. It was solely about uniting Bangladesh and making the event inclusive. I believe we've successfully contributed to enriching our culture, and this is just the beginning," Anee concluded.
