Bangladeshi rock band Ark’s lead vocalist Hasan has spoken about the unpleasant incident he faced while performing at the “Songs of the Monsoon Revolution” concert at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka on August 5. The concert was organised to mark July Mass Uprising Day.
The incident, in which a bottle was thrown at the singer on stage, sparked criticism on social media and among people in the entertainment industry. Hasan, however, said he wanted to view the matter with forgiveness and hoped the person responsible had acted without realising the consequences.
“The incident was completely unexpected for me. In my long musical career, I have never faced such an experience,” Hasan wrote in a social media post after returning to Dhaka from Rajshahi.
Hasan said he had encountered many different experiences during his long career in Bangla band music, but had never imagined that an audience member would throw a bottle at an artiste on stage. “I want to believe that the person who did it may have done so without realising the consequences,” he said.
The singer also urged concertgoers to remember that artistes perform for everyone and should not be judged based on their political identities. “My only request is that no artiste in my country should ever face such a situation in the future,” Hasan said. He added that artistes seek only the audience’s love in return for their performances and should not be subjected to disrespect or unsafe situations.
Hasan also criticised the practice of judging artistes through a political lens. According to him, an artiste’s career is not limited to a particular period or political environment. “An artiste is not an artiste for five or 10 years; they remain an artiste for a lifetime,” he said.
He pointed out that artistes often perform at government, private and political events at different times. Such appearances, he said, should not lead to artistes being labelled according to a particular political identity.
Hasan stressed that ensuring artistes’ safety and giving them the respect they deserve should be a shared responsibility.Ark performed at a concert at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology on August 6, a day after the incident.
