Kishoreganj Concert Postponed Over Licensing Issues and Local Objections

A major music concert scheduled to take place at the Old Stadium in Kishoreganj on Wednesday afternoon has been postponed following administrative intervention over licensing regulations and objections raised by a local religious group. The decision was confirmed on Wednesday morning by the district administration, halting preparations for the musical event that was set to feature popular Bangladeshi rock acts.

The event was organized by a local commercial entity operating under the name “Alishan Restaurant.” However, Kishoreganj Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Ishtiaq Imon told our representative that the organizers failed to comply with statutory licensing prerequisites. According to municipal administration regulations, the hosting enterprise had neither applied for registration under the Hotel Registration Act nor secured a valid operating license. Authorities summoned the organizers to communicate that an unregistered or unauthorized entity cannot be granted permission to convene large public events, leading to the formal rejection of their application.

The administrative action coincides with public opposition led by the Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila branch of the Imam-Ulama Parishad. On Tuesday, the religious group submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding the immediate cancellation of the concert at the Old Stadium. The document, signed by the organisation’s Sadar Upazila chapter president, Maulana Ahmadullah, was also copied to the Superintendent of Police, the Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), and the Officer-in-Charge of Kishoreganj Sadar Police Station. Mohammad Abul Kalam Bhuiyan, Officer-in-Charge of Kishoreganj Sadar Police Station, informed our representative that jurisdiction over public event permits rested entirely with the district administration.

The lineup for the concert included prominent musical groups such as “Ashes” and “Nobelman.” Following the announcement of the cancellation, Ashes posted a statement on their official Facebook page addressing their audience in Kishoreganj, explaining that unforeseen administrative issues forced the postponement of the performance whilst expressing hopes to return in the future.

In light of the postponement, planned street demonstrations were called off. The Imam-Ulama Parishad had previously announced a protest rally and demonstration march across Kishoreganj town for Wednesday afternoon. Maulana Ahmadullah confirmed to our representative that the group canceled their protest after learning that authorities had officially halted the event.