Cell Phones Stolen and Harassment Reported at James’ Performance in Tangail
Over a hundred mobile phones were reportedly stolen during a concert by renowned rock singer James, held at the Shaheed Maruf Stadium in Tangail as part of the football championship celebrations organized by the Bindubasini Government Boys’ High School. As of Wednesday morning (May 14), at least 60 attendees had filed general diaries (GDs) with the local police regarding missing mobile phones.
Tangail Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Tanvir Ahmed confirmed to the media that despite "adequate security arrangements," authorities had received "at least 60 complaints" related to mobile thefts.
The concert took place on Tuesday night (May 13) to mark the trophy unveiling ceremony of the upcoming Eid football championship. The chairman of the tournament’s organizing committee is Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, the Central Publicity Secretary of the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party). Tuku inaugurated the event in the presence of other BNP leaders, including District BNP President Hasanuzzamil Shahin and General Secretary Farhad Iqbal.
From the afternoon, a massive crowd began gathering at the stadium, which was packed to capacity by the time James took the stage around 9 PM and enthralled the audience with a series of musical performances. Amid the excitement, several hundred phones were reportedly stolen from attendees.
Local journalist Naeem Khan reported losing both his and his nephew’s phones during the event while on professional duty. "Like many others, I became a victim of the crowd," he said.
Allegations of sexual harassment also emerged during the concert. Multiple social media users, including members of the local Facebook group Amader Tangail, shared disturbing accounts. One such post from a user named Prince Kabbya reads, "While entering the stadium, a group of people started pushing and shoving deliberately. In the crowd, someone slipped a hand into my pocket and stole my mobile. I couldn’t identify them due to the crowd. Later, at the police station, I saw many others in tears—at least 50 people were there to file complaints about stolen phones."
Another local resident, Zahid Hasan, recounted a troubling incident involving two young women: "I witnessed two girls trying to exit the stadium when several men began touching them inappropriately. I asked them if they were accompanied by anyone; they said no and added that they had been groped by several people in the crowd. I then personally escorted them safely for about a kilometer."
There are also reports that several journalists were denied entry into the stadium by the organizing committee despite having press credentials.
The incident has sparked widespread criticism and concern across Tangail, both in local media and online, with many calling for better crowd control, improved security, and accountability from the event organizers.
