Syed Jamil Ahmed, the Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, announced his resignation during an event at the academy on Friday evening. Following his resignation, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs issued a statement addressing the allegations made by Ahmed in his resignation letter.

In a press release issued on Sunday (March 2), the ministry clarified that Ahmed submitted his resignation letter to the academy’s secretary during the event. The ministry stated that some of the reasons cited by Ahmed in his resignation were based on incorrect and misleading information regarding the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Finance Division. The ministry also refuted personal and unfounded allegations made by Ahmed against the Cultural Affairs Adviser, Mustafa Sarwar Farooqi.

Ahmed had accused Farooqi of pressuring him to release funds for a video production without proper documentation. The ministry denied the allegation, stating that the claim was entirely false. The ministry explained that the video in question was part of a program commemorating the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The ministry had sent a letter to the academy on February 2, requesting the production of a 15-minute video to highlight Bangladesh’s contributions to preserving the history of Mother Language Day.

The ministry stated that Ahmed had behaved inappropriately when asked to release an advance payment for the video production, despite having previously approved a budget of approximately 33 lakh taka for a Sufi Mela event based solely on verbal instructions from the adviser. The ministry emphasized that such advance payments are standard practice for urgent projects. Additionally, Ahmed had exited a WhatsApp group created to coordinate the UNESCO event, which included representatives from the ministry, UNESCO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the video production team.

Ahmed also accused the ministry of interfering in the academy’s operations. The ministry denied this claim, stating that it has always encouraged the academy’s activities and provided additional funding for various programs. For instance, the ministry advised the academy to double the number of scheduled Sufi Melas for Bauls and allocated extra funds for this purpose. The ministry also provided special allocations for workshops and theater productions related to the July Revolution and supported the construction of new theaters.

Regarding budget allocations, the ministry refuted Ahmed’s claim of insufficient funding. It stated that the academy had requested a budget of 200 crore taka for the repair and renovation of its buildings across various districts. While the Finance Ministry indicated some budget cuts due to economic constraints, it assured that additional funds would be allocated for new projects. The ministry also noted that the proposed budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year includes higher allocations for the academy compared to the current year.

Ahmed was also accused of disregarding state protocols and obstructing the participation of academy officials in national events. The ministry highlighted an incident where Ahmed prevented a music officer from attending the final rehearsal of the Ekushey Padak award ceremony, citing a meeting that could have been rescheduled. Additionally, he allegedly barred a musician from participating in the national anthem performance at the same event, despite the musician’s request to postpone a hearing.

The ministry also addressed Ahmed’s allegation that the Cultural Affairs Adviser delayed the approval of the academy’s council meeting minutes. The ministry clarified that the delay was due to incomplete and inconsistent information in the minutes submitted by the academy. Once the corrected minutes were received, the ministry approved them promptly.

In conclusion, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs refuted all allegations made by Syed Jamil Ahmed, emphasizing its support for the academy’s activities and its commitment to transparency and accountability. The ministry’s response aimed to clarify the circumstances surrounding Ahmed’s resignation and address the concerns raised by his statements.