B'desh Unrest
'Don’t go to Bangladesh': Kolkata musician Shiraz Ali Khan’s frightening escape will shock you
Kolkata/IBNS: “Do not go to Bangladesh if you don’t want to face consequences,” Kolkata-based sarod player Shiraz Ali Khan has warned Indians after narrowly escaping the chaotic, violent and lawless situation in the country, which is on edge following the killing of prominent anti-India youth activist Sharif Osman Hadi.
Khan, the grandson of sarod maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, arrived in Dhaka on the night of December 16 for professional commitments despite warnings from locals.
“I was warned against visiting Bangladesh by local people, as an anti-India sentiment is prevailing in the country,” said Khan, who has been visiting Bangladesh for over a decade, speaking to IBNS.
Khan, whose great grandfather Baba Allauddin Khan was from Brahmanbaria (now in Bangladesh), said he sensed the hostility soon after landing and proceeded with his first assignment along with his colleagues on December 17.
The situation took a dramatic turn in the early hours of December 19 when a cultural venue in Dhaka was ransacked just hours before his scheduled performance at Chhayanaut.
“I could sense that the police were trying to identify people from outside and harass them, attempting to extract information to determine whether they were from India. I was smart enough to speak to them in local Bangla and managed to escape the situation. I felt there was a real possibility of danger for my fellow musicians who are Hindu,” said Khan.
Khan said even cab drivers attempted to trick him and his teammates into conversations to identify their dialect after realising from phone numbers that “we were Indians”.
Handling the situation cautiously, Khan said he was repeatedly questioned about India’s sheltering of Sheikh Hasina but “remained quiet” to avoid being drawn into political conversations.
“We were extremely scared and afraid,” he told IBNS, describing the harrowing experience.
Following the close shave, Khan has urged Indians to avoid travelling to Bangladesh until the country returns to a civilised atmosphere, which has been elusive since Hasina’s ouster in August 2024.
“Until there is a civilised atmosphere again, I don’t think any Indians should visit. My message to everyone in India is: do not go to Bangladesh if you don’t want to face consequences. Take this as a warning,” said the musician, who is now relaxed as his colleagues have also returned safely.
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