Tawhidi extremists attack 113 shrines during Yunus government’s tenure

Staff Correspondent

At least 113 shrines and related facilities have been attacked across the country in the past 16 months since the Awami League government was toppled in the July riots. According to research firm RASA Center, these attacks have included vandalism, arson, looting and violence against devotees.

Brutal incidents like forcibly cutting the hair and beards of Bauls have taken place. Bodies have been removed from graves by mobs and burned. And the law enforcement agencies have been looking into these incidents. At the same time, the responsible quarters of the Yunus government have been inciting them. They are not being allowed to organize Orshas at the shrines. They are being prevented step by step.

Research institute ‘Makam’ has found evidence of attacks on 64 shrines, dargahs and khanqas in Dhaka and Chittagong divisions.

According to Maqam data, the most attacks were in Dhaka division. 37 shrines and related establishments were attacked in 9 districts of this division. This was followed by Chittagong division, where 27 establishments in five districts were attacked and vandalized.

Religious ideological differences have been at the heart of most of the attacks. The report states that the shrine has been labeled as ‘shirk and bid’ah’, creating the backdrop for the attacks. There have been attacks on the shrine even after public announcements.

On January 18 last year, the Chief Advisor’s Press Wing admitted that a total of 44 attacks, including 40 shrines, Sufi burial grounds and dargahs, took place across the country in the next 5 and a half months from August 4, 2024. It was reported that cases have been filed and 23 people have been arrested in these incidents.

However, cultural activists and religious leaders call this official statement a farce. According to them, most of the incidents have been covered up. And those incidents that could not be hidden have been highlighted. In fact, there are hundreds of attacks.

Cultural activists said that not only the shrine was attacked, but also various Sunni establishments, including dargahs, Khanka Sharifs, the abodes of Pirs and Murshids, and the akhras of Bauls and sadhaks, located in different parts of the country, were attacked by extremist-Tawheed mobs. The number of dargahs and akhras that were attacked outside the 7-800-year-old shrine is at least 1,500.

The most brutal incident of shrine attacks took place on September 5 last year in Goalanda, Rajbari. There, the shrine and house of Nurul Haque alias Nural Pagla were attacked, claiming that the grave was against Sharia law. The attackers removed the body from the grave and burned it. More than fifty people were injured in the riots that ensued. Since the incident, Nurul Haque’s family and followers have been suffering from extreme insecurity.

In this context, Farhad Mazhar, a renowned spiritual guru of those associated with the interim government, said, “What I say is right, everything else is wrong. This idea is fascism. Those who are waging violence against shrines, music and music are actually anti-Islam. Islam came to this country through the hands of saints. This diversity is the strength of Islam. But the government could not deal with the troublemakers with a strong hand.”

The Maqam report said that the administration was inactive in 80 percent of the incidents in Dhaka division and 90 percent in Chittagong division. In most of the incidents, there has been no progress in cases, arrests or investigations, which has emboldened the attackers. As a result of the attacks, at least 30 shrines have been abandoned and the annual Urs and formal events have been stopped in many places.

Police Headquarters Assistant Inspector General (Media) AHM Shahadat Hossain said, “Legal action was taken as soon as we received the news of the attack. Crime is being treated as a crime. Many cases are still under investigation.”

The RASA Center has filed a writ petition in the High Court over the attack on the shrine. It has mentioned the damage amounting to around Tk 510 crore. The hearing of the writ is scheduled for this week.

Teacher and economist Anu Muhammad said, “The attacks on shrines, mosques, graves and cultural events are not isolated incidents; they are part of a long-planned pattern of violence. The government’s inaction and lack of accountability are the main reasons for the ongoing violence. Various quarters in the government are inciting against shrines.”

In this regard, Nayeb Amir of Hefazat-e-Islam, Mohiuddin Rabbani, said, “We do not consider shrines and shrines to be Sharia-compliant.”