Kutubbagh Darbar Sharif’s Urs Suspended Amid Fundamentalist Threats

Staff Reporter

The annual Urs of Kutubbagh Darbar Sharif in Tejgaon has been suspended to avoid clashes with local residents and Islamic scholars. The decision was announced on Tuesday night in a statement issued on behalf of the Darbar’s spiritual leader, Shah Sufi Syed Zakir Shah.

On January 27, around 100 Islamic scholars and local worshippers gathered in Farmgate to demand the cancellation of the Urs. They formed a human chain and later marched towards the main building of the Darbar Sharif.

Protesters vandalized temporary structures set up for the Urs along the roadside and chanted slogans. Some attempted to damage the gates and pavilions of the event, but were restrained by other scholars. Police intervened to temporarily restore order. However, the group later resumed their protest near Tejgaon College.

The controversy surrounding the Urs dates back to 2017, when the late Dhaka North City Mayor Annisul Huq informed the Kutubbagh Darbar authorities that holding such events in Dhaka would not be allowed. Despite this, the Darbar organized the Urs at Farmgate Park after his death. On December 17, 2017, a mobile court of the city corporation dismantled the event’s gate and reiterated the prohibition.

This year, the Urs was scheduled for Thursday and Friday, January 30 and 31, at 34 Indira Road, Farmgate.