In a recent post on his verified Facebook page, Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has shed light the closure of a theater festival based on the findings of his investigation.

Hearing about the festival's abrupt closure, Farooki said he took immediate action to look into the situation. "We launched an investigation yesterday evening."

He said in the post that since the government was encouraging cultural programmes to spread across the country, there were three art exhibitions yesterday.

In the post from earlier this morning, Farooki, who is also an acclaimed filmmaker, noted that there is an oriental dance show at the Shilpakala Academy later today too. "So why would the police shut down the festival here?" he wondered.

The police had no involvement, said Farooki.

"I found out that the police issued a statement last night saying that they did not ask anyone to close down the festival. Rather, they are ready to provide security," he clarified.

He goes on to say about the enquiries, "It came to light from our quick investigation that a group of theatre artists, opposed to this festival, had complained to the Mohila Samity authorities for cancelling the space allocation."

The theater workers expressed concerns about certain individuals involved with the festival who, according to them, were linked to incitement during the July uprising.

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‘The entire system needs an overhaul’

Farooki says in the post that aggrieved theatre workers claim some people who had incited the killing of students and public in the uprising are trying to use the festival as a cover for their path to 'rehabilitation'. The aggrieved theatre workers are against that and demand that these people face trial for their role in July, explains Farooki.

This controversy also led to the cancellation of Mohila Samity's reservation for the hall yesterday.

He explains, "For those who are not aware, it is necessary to say - neither the allocation nor cancellation against Mohila Samity's reservation is under the government's jurisdiction."

Farooki expressed disappointment with the official statement issued by the festival organisers, which, in his view, failed to address the real issues.

"But sadly, in the statement, they did not say any of these things and first tried to shift the blame on to the police. Near the end of the statement, they said - the festival had to be cancelled because of the mob," he wrote.

"They know who is protesting against them. Is it their purpose to establish a certain narrative when they do not disclose the identities of the protesters and pass them off as mob?"

Concluding his statement, Farooki raised another critical question. "Along with that, another question arises, have they [those who had allegedly caused incitement during the July uprising] felt the need to apologize to the nation for their role in July?" he asked, urging reflection on the broader implications.