Vulgarity in Muktijoddha Sangsad fair

Visitors to a month-long fair, organised by the Ramna thana unit of the Muktijoddha Sangsad at the Ramna Park, are finding the goings-on a bit too vulgar, particularly the special shows.

Four companies are performing variety shows, puppet shows, obscene dances, and at least three gambling counters have been opened at the fair.

The shows start from 3.00pm and continue till midnight everyday. They are attracting a huge number of people. Long queues of visitors are seen in front of the gates. The promoters are using loudspeakers to describe the features of the shows. The tickets are sold at Tk 20 to 40.

However, some people were not happy with the sleazy performance. They were shouting at the promoters for cheating them.

An employee of the organisers of the shows told this correspondent that they were running a losing business. "We have to pay Tk. 2000 per night to the fair committee," he added.

When asked whether they have the permission to hold such shows, he said that the fair organisers had managed to obtain the permission from the higher authorities.

When contacted, Mohammad Humayun Kabir, president of the organising committee, said that they had only rented the space to the companies, and the companies managed to get the permission for holding the shows.

When his attention was drawn to gambling, Humayun Kabir said that it was included in the fair to raise earnings.

He further said that only 32 stalls out of 117 had been rented, and that fell well short of the organisers' target.

The month-long fair was opened on December 22 last year to raise funds for poor freedom fighters. Minister for Liberation War Affairs, Redwan Ahmed inaugurated the fair as the chief guest.

However, many visitors expressed their dissatisfaction over indecent activities at the fair.