Syed Jamil Ahmed resigns as Shilpakala Academy chief over restrictions on ‘Indigenous’

CHT DESK:

In a significant moment, Syed Jamil Ahmed, the Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, has publicly resigned while addressing indigenous rights, a topic long censored in Bangladesh’s official discourse.

Handing his resignation letter directly to the academy’s secretary, Mohammad Wares Hossain, Ahmed took the stage at the closing ceremony of the Munir Chowdhury First National Theatre Festival and declared:

“Since I have already submitted my resignation, I will now say what I was once forbidden to say: We must stand with the indigenous peoples. Their rights must be secured, the oppression against them must cease, and a truly equitable Bangladesh must emerge.”

Ahmed’s defiant remarks challenged the state’s longstanding restrictions on acknowledging indigenous communities and exposed the systemic oppression they face.

His speech reverberated through the packed auditorium, drawing visible reactions of shock, support, and unease among the audience, which included government officials.

Beyond his remarks on indigenous rights, Ahmed’s resignation also laid bare the bureaucratic stranglehold on Bangladesh’s cultural institutions.

He cited his frustration over the government’s refusal to approve his proposed budget of BDT 1.65 billion, alleging that officials treated public funds as personal wealth and obstructed meaningful cultural development.

“I am now 70 years old. I have served the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy with dedication, but I refuse to keep groveling before the ministry ten times over to get things done,” he stated, his frustration unmistakable.

Ahmed, a renowned theatre director and the founding professor of Dhaka University’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, further underscored the urgent need for a discrimination-free Bangladesh.

“If we are to build an equitable nation, bureaucrats in this ministry must recognize that we are working in a post-uprising society,” he asserted.

The dramatic resignation sparked visible dismay among attendees, with several urging him to reconsider.

However, the legal status of his resignation remains uncertain. “As the secretary, I merely received the resignation letter. However, no official or employee of the Shilpakala Academy has formally accepted it,” Mohammad Wares Hossain later stated.

Syed Jamil Ahmed was appointed as Director General of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in September 2024 for a two-year term.

His resignation unveils the entrenched challenges within Bangladesh’s cultural sphere and revives the critical discourse on indigenous rights—an issue long silenced.