Tawhidi mob attacks century-old shrine in Mymensingh, vandalizes site and throws excrement

District Correspondent

A hundred-year-old shrine in Mymensingh’s Gauripur has been vandalized by a Tawheed mob. The shrine’s boundary wall has been demolished and the shrine has been desecrated by throwing feces, urine and cow dung inside.

The incident has angered the devotees and fans. On the other hand, it is reported that the Towhidi community is trying to completely demolish the shrine.

It is learnt that on Thursday (sometime last night), a group of Towhidi devotees attacked the Shahjahan Uddin (R.) Aulia shrine located in Tengapara village of the upazila. When the matter came to light on Friday morning, extreme tension and anger spread in the area.

According to the shrine sources, devotees entered the shrine on Friday morning and found that the boundary wall of the main part had been broken and mixed with the ground. At the same time, polythene-filled excrement and dung had been spread to destroy the sanctity of the shrine. When the news spread, hundreds of people from the surrounding villages gathered at the shrine since morning to protest the incident.

The shrine’s keeper, Md. Saidur Rahman (70), said he has been taking care of the shrine for about 40 years. According to him, such a brutal incident has never happened in the past at this shrine, which was established during the Mughal period. No one has ever desecrated the shrine in this way.

He alleged that the Towhidi Janata group is conspiring to demolish the shrine after the fall of the Awami League government. He also said that they are now insecure.

Local resident Faruk Ahmed said, “Numerous devotees from far and wide come to this shrine every day. It is important to quickly identify those who have committed such vandalism in the dark of night and ensure exemplary punishment.”

Local UP member Md. Jewel Mia said that he visited the scene after receiving the news. According to him, the miscreants showed extreme audacity by destroying the infrastructure of the shrine and throwing impure objects filled with polythene. The matter was immediately reported to the police station.

Confirming the incident, Gauripur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Kamrul Hasan said that the police have inspected the scene. A part of the wall of the shrine has been vandalized and signs of excrement and urine have been found there.

He also said that no major Urs has been held at that shrine for the last 8-10 years.

No written complaint has been received in this incident yet. According to him, there is no scope to make a big deal out of the matter and no big culprit has committed this incident.