Pabna, July 22 (V7N) — As the nation mourns the tragic deaths of students in the Milestone School and College fire, a controversial cultural event organized by local BNP members in Chatmohar, Pabna, has drawn sharp criticism across social media and within party ranks.
 
The event, held on Monday night (July 21) in Digholgram Shahbari Bazar of Chaikola Union, featured a musical performance with female dancers brought in from outside the area. According to witnesses, the program — held as part of a BNP grassroots workers’ gathering — continued from 8:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m., with loud music shaking the neighborhood.
 
The event was organized to celebrate the primary nomination of Krishibid Hasan Jafir Tuhin, President of the BNP’s Central Krishak Dal, for the upcoming national elections in Pabna-3 (Chatmohar-Bhangura-Faridpur). However, the timing of the celebration — just hours after the Milestone fire that claimed multiple student lives — has been widely condemned.
 
Locals and netizens reacted strongly, calling the festivities “insensitive” and “disrespectful” during a period of national grief. Social media erupted with posts criticizing the event organizers for showing poor judgment and a lack of compassion.
 
Rakibul Islam Hridoy, Joint Convener of the Upazila Chhatra Dal, wrote on Facebook: “Chatmohar is ashamed by this behavior.” Another BNP activist, Asaduzzaman Lebu of the Swechchhasebak Dal, posted: “I condemn those who organized this event on such a tragic day.”
 
Public comments were scathing. One user wrote: “Have the conscience of the people in this area died? If leaders don’t share in the people's grief, what kind of leaders are they?”
 
Internal party figures also expressed regret and demanded accountability. Montaz Ahmed, President of the Upazila Labour Wing, demanded that those responsible be expelled from the party. “They have brought disgrace to Tuhin Bhai’s name and the BNP banner,” he said.
 
Hasanul Islam Raja, a BNP nomination hopeful and adviser to the BNP’s central cultural wing, condemned the incident in a Facebook post, calling it a violation of values and public trust. “It is not just a moral lapse — it’s a betrayal of national emotion,” he wrote.
 
Former MP and BNP leader KM Anwarul Islam echoed the disapproval: “In a time of national mourning, what happened in Chaikola was in very poor taste. We are deeply ashamed.”
 
Responding to the backlash, former Chaikola Union Chairman and BNP leader Ataur Rahman Tota defended the event, saying the cultural portion was initially scheduled earlier but was delayed due to rain. “No one could have predicted the tragic fire. We wrapped up the speeches and asked the juniors not to proceed with entertainment. But they didn’t listen,” he claimed, while also alleging internal rival factions were exploiting the incident for political gain.
 
Still, critics insist the incident reflects a broader problem of insensitivity in local politics, especially during moments of national crisis.
 
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