Tk 2 Lakh Extortion Refused, BNP-Jamaat Vandalise Baul Festival

Staff Correspondent

In Natore, miscreants vandalised the Al Chishti shrine and disrupted a Baul festival allegedly after organisers refused to pay Tk 2 lakh in extortion demanded by a local BNP leader.

The incident took place on Monday night at Lochonagar village in Sadar upazila. Devotees accused BNP, Jamaat, and Shibir activists of attacking the shrine, claiming it harboured “immoral activities.”

The festival, scheduled to take place at the shrine on Tuesday evening, was postponed due to the attack. The shrine committee had completed all arrangements, including setting up a large pandal, for the annual Baul music programme.

Hossain Kabiraj, president of the shrine committee, said the festival is organised every year during the shrine’s annual urs. He alleged that Union BNP President Sirajul Islam demanded Tk 2 lakh for the event and summoned him for a meeting on Monday evening. Kabiraj said he could not attend due to prior commitments and did not pay the money.

Later that night, attackers damaged the shrine’s roof, gates, pandal, and other structures. They also assaulted a female devotee, identified as Khadija, during the rampage.

Sirajul Islam denied the extortion allegations, claiming he had only invited Kabiraj to discuss complaints from local imams about alleged “immoral activities” at the shrine.

Jamaat activist Bashir Mia accused the shrine organisers of promoting drug use and hosting loud music festivals every year despite objections from residents. He admitted to participating in the attack, saying, “We cleared the shrine last night.”

Shrine President Kabiraj dismissed the allegations of drug use and immoral activities as baseless, asserting that the attack stemmed from extortion demands. He refrained from naming the attackers, citing security concerns.

Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mahabur Rahman said police and army personnel visited the scene after receiving reports of the attack. He added that no formal complaints had been filed yet and assured that necessary action would be taken upon receiving one.