Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to perform in Dhaka

A charity concert titled ‘Echoes of Revolution’ is set to take place at the Army Stadium in Dhaka on December 21.

The concert will donate its proceeds to the ‘Shaheed July Smrity Foundation’ to support the families of martyrs and injured during the July Uprising.

Renowned global musician Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, along with several popular Bangladeshi bands, will perform at the event. ‘Prime Bank’ is the title sponsor of the concert.

"Spirits of July" organized a press conference at Dhaka University's Madhur Canteen at 4pm on Friday to announce the details of the concert.

The press conference featured written statements by Hasan Mahmud Rizvi, a student of the International Relations Department at Dhaka University; Sadekur Rahman Sunny, from the university’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism; Md Jafor Ali, from the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies and Wahid-Uz-Zaman from the university's Islamic Studies department.

In their written statement, the organizers said: “To stand by the families of martyrs and injured during the July-August mass movement, a group of Dhaka University students formed the platform 'Spirits of July.'

Through this platform, we are organizing a charity concert titled 'Echoes of Revolution' on December 21."

“Total proceeds from the concert will go toward supporting the affected families. The funds will be donated to the Shaheed July Smrity Foundation, which works with the families of the martyrs and injured of the July Uprising," reads the statement.

The statement also mentioned that "Spirits of July" and the ‘Shaheed July Smrity Foundation’ signed a memorandum of understanding on November 12.

On the participation of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the statement read: "A contract was signed with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on Thursday, November 28. He decided to perform at our concert without remuneration, and the amount saved from his performance will also be donated to the families of the martyrs and injured."

The concert will also feature performances by Bangladeshi bands Artcell, Chirkutt, Ashes, Aftermath, and rap artists Sezan and Hannan at nominal fees.

In addition to music, the event will feature a graffiti exhibition related to the July Revolution and other attractions, including a "Mugdha Water Zone."

"Tickets for the charity concert will be available for sale in early December,” organizers told at the press conference, regarding ticket sales.

“The tickets will be set into three categories, but the prices are yet to be decided," they mentioned.

"We have already formed an advisory board comprising Dhaka University teachers and eminent personalities to ensure transparency and accountability in all financial matters and provide advice," the written statement further read.

The advisory board includes Dr Mahfujul Hoque Supan, Provost of Sir AF Rahman Hall at Dhaka University (DU), Dr Ansarul Alam, Professor at the Institute of Modern Languages, DU, and Mohammad Mahbub Kaiser, Associate Professor of Sociology and Assistant Proctor at DU.

Also on the advisory board are Professor Muhammad Ruhul Amin and Professor Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan from the Department of International Relations, DU, as well as Professor Robayet Ferdous and Associate Professor Dr Md Saiful Alam Chowdhury from the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, DU.

Professor Dr Rezwanul Haque Khan from the Institute of Business Administration, DU, Professor Dr Mahbubul Hasan Munir from BIRDEM Hospital, and Mohiuddin Mujahid Mahi, President of the Dhaka University Journalists Association (DUJA) are also the members of the advisory board.

The press conference was also attended by Ziaur Rahman, Deputy Managing Director and Head of Human Resources, Prime Bank along with advisory board members.