A student-organized singing program titled Bauler Droho at Jahangirnagar University was allegedly shut down by the university administration early Sunday morning. The event, held at the transport yard and intended as a protest against nationwide attacks on Baul artists, began around 5:30 pm and continued into the night. Students from several departments later posted on Facebook complaining that the loud music was disrupting study during exam season, prompting the proctorial team to intervene.
According to organizers, the administration first asked them to lower the volume and end the program by 11 pm. They complied by reducing the sound, but continued the event. Around 1:45 am, Proctor Professor AKM Rashidul Alam returned and instructed them to stop immediately, leading to an argument. Eyewitnesses said one student verbally abused the proctor during the exchange. Organizers, however, insist that the final segment of the program—a pala gaan—was nearly over and they only asked for a few minutes to complete it.
In response to the prolonged noise at the transport yard, another group of students gathered in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s residence around 1:15 am, using handheld microphones and small speakers to protest what they described as administrative inaction. They said repeated online complaints since 10 pm were ignored, forcing them to escalate. Proctor Rashidul Alam later stated that many students had reported migraine and study disruption due to the sound and that both sides behaved inappropriately at different points.
The program eventually ended after the proctor’s final request. The incident has sparked debate on campus about academic pressure, cultural expression, and administrative decision-making during a period of nationwide unrest around Baul cultural repression. No disciplinary action has yet been announced.
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