Cultural activists had called a human chain in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, to protest against the obstruction of female baul singers from performing in Sunamganj. Accordingly, they gathered in front of Meena Bazar at Dhanmondi 27 at around 4:00 pm on Monday. However, police prevented them from holding the protest, and one person was detained and taken away by law enforcement.
From 3:30 pm onwards, more than 100 police personnel were deployed in the Dhanmondi 27 area near Meena Bazar ahead of the planned demonstration. At around 4:00 pm, several cultural activists gathered in front of the supermarket under the banner of "Protesting Artistes and People." They stated they had gathered to hold a human chain protesting against attacks and aggression by miscreants carrying out violence in the name of the Tawhidi Janata against Baul music and other cultural events in various parts of the country.
Noticing the heavy police presence, theatre activist Sumana Islam approached the officers to inquire whether they would be permitted to hold the human chain. Another activist, Dipak Shil, joined her during the discussion. Police officials on site informed them that they had received directives from higher authorities to ensure that participants refrained from making provocative remarks or chanting slogans during the protest.
Law enforcement personnel at the scene also noted that another group had recently held a human chain at the exact same location and chanted specific political slogans, raising concerns over security and public order.
