Artcell Slapped with Tk14.5L Demand After RU Concert Fiasco

Drama erupted at Rajshahi University (RU) when the iconic band Artcell bailed on their much-hyped “36 July: Festival of Liberation” gig on August 15, 2025, with a last-minute Facebook post that left students and organizers fuming. The sudden cancellation, announced the night before, has sparked a fierce showdown, with chief organizer Salauddin Ammar, a former coordinator, issuing a bold 12-hour ultimatum to Artcell: pay Tk14.5 lakh in damages, refund the advance, and publicly apologize with RU’s name—or face legal heat and a trashed Canada tour.

In a blistering Facebook rant, Ammar didn’t hold back, slamming Artcell’s frontman Lincoln as a “cultural fascist.” He wrote, “Lincoln Artcell, you’ve got until tonight to decide: return the money with compensation and apologize, naming Rajshahi University.” He listed Tk14.5 lakh in losses, threatening lawsuits for fraud and defamation and vowing to derail the band’s upcoming Canada tour. When Artcell’s manager called the demand “extortion,” Ammar fired back, “You canceled at the eleventh hour, cozying up with the banned Chhatra League. We’ll feed your money to campus dogs. Call it extortion—bring it on! Your cultural fascism gets zero tolerance. Clock’s ticking: 12 hours.”

Speaking to The Daily Campus, Ammar doubled down, revealing the sting of betrayal. “We had the stage set, decorations ready, everything perfect. Then Artcell drops a vague ‘unavoidable reasons’ excuse on Facebook, leaving us in the lurch with massive losses. We’ve got proof they were emailing the banned Chhatra League—clear collusion. We’re not just mad; we’re filing fraud and defamation cases,” he declared.