Dhaka concerts face mob music

Just days after the announcement of Atif Aslam's return to Dhaka for the second time this year, a strange trend emerged on Bangladeshi social media. Reels began circulating, where two friends joked about attending the concert. One of them boldly suggested there was no need to spend Tk4,000 on tickets when they could simply storm the gates. 

Shockingly, even certain influencers with massive followings of almost 400,000 began encouraging their fans to join in, planning a coordinated effort to break through security. It was as if they felt entitled to free entry.  

These reckless ambitions have made their way out of social media and spilt into real life as mob culture. Over the past six weeks, several concerts have fallen victim to organised groups of 30 to 40 people who gather outside venues to force their way in. 

In some instances, organisers were smart enough to predict such instances, leading them to postpone or call off concerts entirely.

This happened last Friday at the 'Gonojowar' concert at the Liberation War Museum, where the likes of Nemesis and Avoid Rafa couldn't even make it to the stage. The show was stopped midway, citing security concerns as a group of 40 had already broken the main gate.

What may have begun as a "harmless" attempt by a few overexcited, hormone-fuelled teenagers trying to sneak into concerts now reveals a darker side. 
Are there groups deliberately targeting the music scene? And most importantly, what consequences might this behaviour bring in the future?  A pattern has developed in the past few weeks, and when there's a pattern, there must be more to the story. 
 

Where it all started

The Business Standard spoke with industry professionals, including musicians and organisers, to understand the current situation and what the future holds. 

While their opinions on potential solutions differ, they all agree on one key point: this growing misconduct began when organisers, corporate sponsors, and previous governments started hosting free, open-to-all concerts. It was during this period that the public became increasingly drawn to such practices.

"There's no place in the world where free concerts are a standard practice. You won't find live music being offered to the public for free anywhere else, not even in our neighbouring countries," says Saimum Hasan Nahian, guitarist of Powersurge and a highly respected figure in the country's underground music scene. 

He points out that once free concerts became normalised, thousands of people started to feel entitled to attend shows without paying. Nahian, who has organised numerous events over the past decade, has witnessed this shift firsthand.

He pointed out that even in the nineties, there were many who used to topple barricades and scale stadium walls to get in and enjoy the shows, but they weren't as aggressive as seen in the present day.

"These days, people come armed with sticks and hockey sticks, and they're more than capable of breaking down gates and even harming organisers or security staff in their way," says musician Raef Al Hasan Rafa.

He emphasises that this poses a significant security risk to the performers and audience. 
 

Can the organisers handle it better?

All hell broke loose last month when Pakistani band Jal's concert had to be moved to Jamuna Future Park shopping mall due to weather conditions. The show was delayed by a few hours after hundreds of people began forcing their way through the gates. Many of them were employees from various stalls and shops in the mall who clearly hadn't purchased tickets. 

This unexpected disruption added to the challenges faced by the organisers as they tried to manage the situation—leading to a point where the Bangladesh Army had to intervene and even place tens of armed soldiers on the stage.

"Why would anyone even consider hosting an international band's concert at a shopping mall? It's beyond me," questions Zohad Reza Chowdhury, the vocalist of the iconic rock band Nemesis. "That was probably one of the most poorly organised concerts in recent memory," he added, reflecting on the event.

Nahian believes that both the ticketing process and the deployment of security, whether private or public, need significant improvement. He suggests there should be no ticket sales at the venue itself, and if there are, the stalls should be placed outside the entry gates.

This raises the question of whether there's sufficient investment to hire more security personnel, and if it's financially feasible, why organisers are compromising on safety.

Rafa and Nahian argue that it's entirely possible. They point out that organisers make enough profit from ticket sales and sponsorships to afford a larger security presence. "The money is there," Rafa says, adding that even if smaller event management companies are involved, corporate sponsors and larger organisers can easily invest more in security. 

I have learnt from DMP and SB that they are completely against granting permission for hosting large-scale concerts in the near future. Even some large telecom companies and corporate sponsors stated they won't be investing any capital for concerts right now.

Raef Al Hasan Rafa

Are the police and the bouncers not pulling their weight?

Rafa and Zohad both noted that during their show on the 18th, there was a reasonable amount of security. Three platoons of police, including the officer in charge of the local station, and around ten bouncers were present at the venue. 

"Honestly, these were just misguided teens, no older than 15 or 16. They kept insisting they were 'soldiers' of the anti-discriminatory student protest and demanded free entry. I feel the situation could have been handled easily," Zohad explained.

However, an anonymous security personnel mentioned that the police, after the events of July and August, felt they had lost the moral ground to intervene, fearing it could backfire. The bouncers also disclosed they lacked the authority to physically confront intruders, which could worsen the situation.

Rafa personally feels that these incidents lean towards organised crime. He claims to have witnessed a group of kids at the venue in the afternoon, conducting a "reconnaissance mission" to check out the site before they finally stormed in the evening.
On the flip side, the authorities have now decided not to grant permission to host concerts.

"I have it on good authority and have learnt from DMP [Dhaka Metropolitan Police] and SB [Special Branch] that they are completely against granting permission for hosting large-scale concerts in the near future. Even speaking to some large telecom companies and corporate sponsors, they stated that they won't be investing any amount of capital for concerts right now."

This could be a step in the right direction from the proper authorities. 
 

What steps are being taken?

As of 20 October, a group of around 20 individuals, including musicians, organisers, and industry insiders, gathered to discuss the future of concerts in Dhaka and how to ensure their safety. 

Ehsanul Haque Tito, advisor to Get Set Rock and manager of the band Aurthohin, provided updates on the measures being taken. 

Tito shared that evidence of the encroachment had been shared with the authorities and that a case had also been filed.

Tito, along with musicians Zohad and Rafa, emphasised that they are all working together to identify the perpetrators. They have uncovered several social media accounts involved in organising the disruptions and believe it's time to expose them publicly and to law enforcement.

"We need some support from the higher authorities. It could be helpful if someone from the cultural ministry steps in," Nahian added. 

However, Zohad raised concerns about the cultural ministry, questioning whether it is active in the current context of our country.

Rafa suggested that if help from higher authorities isn't available, they might need to adopt neighbourhood policing strategies, similar to what residents did in August to protect their homes. 

He further warned of escalating safety risks at concerts: "Today they are just breaking down the gates. Tomorrow they could barge in and start harassing the attendees... Anything could happen since law and order are in dire straits."
Nahian, Rafa, and Tito feel that concerts need a break for the time being.