Online Desk: Uniting voices against the ongoing brutal attacks in Gaza by Israel, several Bangladeshi artists will perform in a charity concert titled ‘To Gaza from Dhaka’ on Friday in the capital’s Hatirjheel Amphitheater.

The concert is being organized by the platform Artists Against Genocide, known for its recent projects such as the 73 graffiti works by cartoonist Morshed Mishu and team in different parts of Dhaka. The concert will feature performances by a number of leading and popular Bangladeshi musicians.

The line-up includes Maqsood O’ dHAKA, Ark, AvoidRafa, Nemesis, Indalo, Meghdol, Shohojia, Karnival, Highway, Hatirpool Sessions, Firoze Jong, Moruvumi, Moonflower, Masha Islam, rapper Shafayat, Aseer Arman, Rezaul Karim Leemon, Black Zang, Muiz Mahfuz, Avishek Bhattacharjee and Ahmed Hasan Sunny. Eminent music director Prince Mahmud and lyricist Latiful Islam Shibli will be featured as special guests at the event alongside the musicians.

Acclaimed musician and actor Ahmed Hasan Sunny, one of the organizers of this charity concert, told UNB that the event is a fundraiser for Gaza, aimed at demanding a ceasefire while offering much-needed assistance to Palestinian civilians dealing with continued struggles due to the current conflict.

“For years, the innocent civilians in Palestine have been suffering from oppression and now the ongoing genocide in Gaza must be protected from every corner of the world. This concert is a symbolic open letter to Gaza, through which, we — the Bangladeshi artists — hope to send a message of empathy to the civilians in Gaza, informing them that they are not alone in this battle,” Sunny told UNB.

Mentioning that the artists are not taking any money for this charity concert, Sunny informed UNB that all proceeds from ticket sales and donations will go to Gaza through NGOs who are actively working in Gaza such as Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, or the Red Crescent. Due to currency and transaction difficulties, the exact NGO is not yet fixed but will be finalized as soon as possible.

“As you can understand, the biggest roadblock is to send the proceeds to the people in dire need, as funds transfer is being blocked by the oppressors. We contacted the Palestinian ambassador in Dhaka who expressed gratitude for this event and shared the Palestinian flag with us, and we invited him to join us in this concert,” Sunny said.

The event already created buzz on social media platforms, and many celebrities including Mostafa Sarwar Farooki, Chanchal Chowdhury, and others including the performing musicians are sharing the event with engaging captions, lauding the initiative. “A big shout out to the friends behind the ‘To Gaza from Dhaka’ concert! Artists are essentially political animals!” Farooki wrote in his Facebook post.

Intending to offer a great musical experience to the audiences, Sunny said that the platform is taking the utmost preparation possible. “We are immensely grateful to our esteemed artists who are performing in this concert and also the celebrities and music lovers who are expressing solidarity, such as the comedy club Stand Up Dhaka which cancelled its upcoming event on November 24 for this event,” Sunny stated.

The event features three levels of tickets with three separate price points: BDT 500, 1000, and 1500. Furthermore, anybody can donate as well as purchase available tickets from the website https://getsetrock.com/, which also displays a live count of the total acquired donation.

Concertgoers can enter the venue from 2:30 pm onwards while the concert will start at 3:30 pm. Additional information is available on the Facebook pages of the event and the organizers.