Participants in a programme in the Sylhet city on Tuesday demanded immediate step to stop the authorities from changing the name of Hason Raja Academy in Sunamganj.
They strongly criticised the move to change the name of the academy to Baul academy and urged all enthusiasts of Hasan Raja’s songs and cultural and social activists to raise their voice against those who are hatching the plot against the academy.
They made the call in a press conference held at the Zilla Press Club in the afternoon.
Shamarin Dewan, secretary of Hason Raja Parishad, which has been working to preserve the works of lyrical poet Hason Raja and promote his songs since 1965, read out a written speech on behalf of the institution in the programme.
He urged the higher authorities concerned for taking urgent step against the move of changing the name of Hason Raja Academy in order to keep unhurt reputation of the legendary mystic poet Hason Raja and upheld the cultural heritage in the country.
He said the Sunamganj Shilpakala Academy secretary Shamsul Abedeen recently applied to the director general of Dhaka Shilpakala Academy for changing the name of Hason Raja Academy to Baul academy, hurting the fans of Hason Raja as well as the people of the region.
Following the application, the Dhaka Shilpakala Academy authorities have asked the Sunamganj district administration to make recommendation in this regard based on the views of local people.
Hason Raja researcher Nripendra Lal Das, Sylhet District Sangit Sangkalak acting president Supriya Chakrabarti and Sunamganj Sammilita Sangskritik Jote general secretary Shamsul Alam Selim, among others, addressed the programme.
Being contacted, Sunamganj Shilpakala Academy secretary Shamsul Abedin told New Age that the proposal for changing the name of Hason Raja Academy was made following repeated requests from baul singers in the locality.
‘They want to expand the scope of the institution from its activities now focused on an individual,’ he reasoned.
Baul Muhith Ali, also president of an artists’ group in Sylhet division, who was also present at the programme, said they never wanted that the name of Hason Raja would be wiped out from the academy.
‘We rather are trying to persuade the government to set up a separate academy for the baul artists in the country,’ he added.
-With New Age input
