Popular bands boycott Joy Bangla concert

The Joy Bangla Concert, known for bringing popular bands together and attracting a youthful audience, is facing backlash due to violence associated with the quota reform movements' protests. 

Several well-known bands and musicians have publicly announced on Facebook that they will no longer participate in the event. 

Cryptic Fate, popular for their patriotic and social justice songs, have been a prominent face at the concert. The band stated, "Given our focus on themes like patriotism, the Liberation War, injustice, and oppression, it is impossible for us to perform at the upcoming Joy Bangla Concert. So, our answer is 'no.'"

Another popular hard rock band, Arbovirus, also declared their boycott on social media, stating, "Arbovirus will never perform at the Joy Bangla concert."

Nemesis has also decided to boycott the Joy Bangla Concert. Further elaborating on their point, they announced on Facebook, "Given the recent events over the past two weeks, it's clear that we will never perform at the Joy Bangla Concert again."

"However, the conversation doesn't end there. We have more to express. We've spoken out before, and now it's time to amplify our voices. We all need to speak up. For 30 years, our generation has grown up in a culture of fear. It often felt like protesting through songs was all we could do. When we were younger, we thought, 'Who would listen to us?' But how long can we live in fear," read their post. 

"The current generation is showing us that with courage, we can all speak up and challenge what's wrong. We all aspire to see a just society and to cultivate a culture of truth.Therefore, we must continue speaking out and protesting against injustice. You're doing it, we're doing it, and many more will join. It may take time, but people are waking up," concluded Nemesis. 

Raffan Imam, known as Popeye, has similarly announced his decision to sever ties with the concert, stating, "You will never see me perform at a Joy Bangla concert, ever."

Earlier, during the quota reform protests, Sina Hasan of Bangla Five announced his boycott on July 17. He said, "As an artiste, I am boycotting the 'Joy Bangla' concert. I do not wish to be part of this sycophantic event, either as an artiste or as an audience member. If my band members disagree, I am willing to leave Bangla Five, although I doubt they will."

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Musicians voice support for quota reform protesters

With these popular bands withdrawing their support, the future of the Joy Bangla Concert is uncertain. The event is organised by the Centre for Research & Information (CRI) and its youth wing, Young Bangla, to commemorate Bangladesh's independence and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's iconic March 7 speech.