Dhaka, Jan 2: Arson attacks on Bangladesh’s leading cultural institutions, Chhayanaut and Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi, have reignited concerns over growing religious extremism and its challenge to the country’s secular Bengali identity ahead of national elections. During the attacks in Dhaka, photographs of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam — icons of Bengali literature and nationalism — were vandalised.
Founded in the 1960s, the two organisations played a key role in preserving Bengali language and culture during Pakistan’s rule and the 1971 liberation war, when resistance to linguistic and cultural discrimination fuelled the independence movement. Cultural leaders say the latest violence strikes at the core of that historical legacy.
The attacks followed widespread unrest in mid-December after the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi and coincided with assaults on media houses and the lynching of a Hindu citizen, heightening fears over minority safety and freedom of expression.
Artists and analysts view the incidents as part of a broader pattern of hostility towards syncretic traditions, including repeated attacks on Baul folk singers and the interim government’s decision to drop plans for recruiting music teachers under Islamist pressure. The failure of authorities to prevent the violence has raised doubts about the interim government’s ability to maintain law and order during the pre-election period.
Despite fear and damage, cultural groups have responded defiantly. Udichi members and supporters sang outside their damaged office, while thousands gathered at Chhayanaut to perform Tagore’s Ekla Cholo Re, symbolising resilience. Public support has enabled Udichi to plan reconstruction through donations, and Chhayanaut will resume music classes in early January.
Political leaders, including BNP chief and prime ministerial hopeful Tarique Rahman, have reiterated Bangladesh’s inclusive identity. Cultural activists say the struggle now represents a critical test of the nation’s founding ideals of secularism, linguistic pride and artistic freedom.
