The Bengal Classical Music Festival for this year has been cancelled, due to the unavailability of its venue, the Army Stadium.

Bengal Foundation made the announcement in a press conference at the Westin Dhaka in the capital on Sunday. They issued a press release that said the Army Sports Control Board (ASCB) on August 31 had denied allotment of the Army Stadium from November 20-28 (with the event set for November 23-27) to Bengal Foundation, citing the arrival of the Pope to Bangladesh at the time as the reason.

When it was known that the Pope was arriving on November 30 and his main programme would not be held at the Army Stadium, Bengal Foundation reapplied for the venue on September 9 but no progress was made in this regard.

It takes about eight months to plan and prepare for the festival and therefore it was not possible to shift the dates, Bengal Foundation Chairman Abul Khair informed, adding that another venue was not an option because of the stature of the festival and the security requirements of the performing artistes and the large number of audience members.  “As much as it hurts us, we have to cancel this year's festival. I hope the audience will forgive me,” said a distraught Abul Khair.

The news was met with shock and disbelief among music enthusiasts, on social media and in the cultural fraternity as well. “There are many people like me who will be disheartened at the news. The festival is a milestone cultural event,” eminent painter and classical music aficionado Rafiqun Nabi told The Daily Star.

However, Minister of Cultural Affairs Asaduzzaman Noor did not give up hope. “I am still optimistic that with the direct initiative of the Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the festival may be re-scheduled,” he told The Daily Star.

An illustrious lineup of artistes were scheduled to perform at this year's festival, including Pt. Jasraj (vocals), Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Mohan Veena), first South Indian Grammy winner Vidwan Vikku Vinayakram (Carnatic percussion), a Western Classical Symphonic Orchestra (to perform with violin maestro Pt. L Subramaniam) for the first time, along with festival regulars Pt. Ajoy Chakravarty (vocals), Ustad Rashid Khan (vocals), Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia (flute), Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar (vocals), Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan (sitar), Kaushiki Chakravarty (vocal), Purbayan Chatterjee (sitar) and Pt. Tejendra Narayan Majumdar (sarod).

Initiated in 2012, with assistance from Kolkata's ITC Sangeet Research Academy the first year, the Bengal Classical Music Festival became a marquee event of Bangladesh's cultural calendar. The four-nightlong festival featured the world's leading exponents of Hindustani and Carnatic Classical Music in the first two years, with attendance numbers reaching nearly 100,000 in the second year. Since 2014, the festival was extended to five nights, and audience numbers swelled to 1,50,000. That year the Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay also began its journey with the aim of producing future classical musicians and singers, under the tutelage of noted classical gurus. In 2016, the attendance rose to nearly 200,000.

Artistes like Vidushi Girija Devi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Birju Maharaj, Balamurali Krishna, Kishori A Monkar, Ustad Rashid Khan, Pt Ajoy Chakravarty, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussein, Parveen Sultana, Pt Swapan Chaudhury, Pt Anindo Chatterjee, Vidushi Prabha Atre, Kaushiki Chakravarty, Vidushi Alarmel Valli, Bombay Jayashree, Aruna Sairam, Guru Karaikudi Mani and countless other gems of Classical Music have graced the stage of this prestigious festival, along with an increasing number of group and solo performances by Bangladeshi artistes. The first edition featured 10 Bangladeshi performers, which by 2016 rose to 165.

The festival has garnered praise from all quarters for its fantastic event management (by Blues Communications) including security, amenities and convenience of shuttle bus services. From ministers, diplomats and social elites to the middle class and from teenagers to the elderly, the festival has been attended by people of all ages and classes with great festivity and fervor.

Aside from the festival, Bengal Foundation has dedicatedly held other supporting events including workshops and programmes to give momentum to the practice of classical music in the country. The organisation also held a 10-day Bengal Sangskriti Utshab in Sylhet, displaying all aspects of Bangla culture.