Seventy-five eminent citizens have expressed deep alarm and anger over the arrest of Baul singer Abul Sarkar in Manikganj and the violent assault on his followers, warning that the interim government will be “failing in its duty” if it allows the attackers—described as a “mob”—to walk free.
They demanded the immediate release of Baul Abul Sarkar and the withdrawal of the Manikganj superintendent of police (SP).
In a joint statement issued on 23 November, the group—which includes economists, teachers, lawyers, journalists, researchers, activists and cultural workers—condemned the violence.
They said that, according to media reports, a group brutally assaulted Baul devotees who had gathered for a peaceful human chain, leaving several injured, while the police failed to protect them. Since the interim government took office, they said, groups identifying themselves as ‘Tawhidi Janata’ have repeatedly taken the law into their own hands in the name of alleged “religious insult”—a trend they described as dangerous.
They said the Manikganj incident was not merely an attack on Bauls, but a direct blow to overall citizen security. Even after the attackers’ faces and identities were published in the media, no action was taken—an act of impunity, they said.
The statement noted that the interim government had promised to uphold freedom of expression and ensure the safety of citizens. But the attack on Bauls, provocative marches, open death threats and the prolonged detention of Abul Sarkar show a “consistent failure” to honour that commitment.
Their specific demands include ensuring security for Baul artists and their events across the country, conducting an impartial investigation into the Manikganj attack and prosecuting those responsible, and withdrawing the Manikganj SP for dereliction of duty.
They also urged law enforcement to take visible action against incitement and violence carried out in the name of religious sentiment. They demanded a fair investigation into the allegations against Abul Sarkar, his swift release, and an end to the misuse of such cases.
They emphasised that the government must take visible steps to protect freedom of expression for Bauls, artists, writers, journalists and all citizens.
The signatories are economist Zia Hassan; Executive Director of The Bangladesh Dialogue Rubaiyat Mannan Rafi; teacher and theatre activist Samina Luthfa; Dhaka University professor Asif Mohammad Shahan; architect Marjia Mithila; teacher, researcher and rights activist Ahmed Abid; activist Md Rashed; writer Subail bin Alam; senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh Sara Hossain; journalist and political analyst at The Business Standard Shadique Mahbub Islam; teacher and writer Fahmidul Haq; economist Islamul Haque; researcher Mir Huzaifa Al Mamduh; media and development practitioner Tajwar Mahmid; doctoral fellow at Georgia State University Asif Bin Ali; executive member of BRAIN Asif Iqbal; Diaspora Alliance for Democracy member Shamaruh Mirza; economic researcher and activist Humayun Kabir; journalist and cultural activist Moumita Jannat;
writer and activist Anupam Saikat Shanto; writer Kowshik Ahmed; journalist and activist Ranjan Kumar Dey; writer and organiser Nahid Hasan; journalism teacher Al Raji; teacher Manosh Chowdhury; development worker Kamruzzaman Ripon; writer, content creator and teacher Md Adnan Arif Salim; writer and journalist Hasnat Shoaib; researcher and artist Jakaria Sureshwari; artist Shahidul Islam Shishir; researcher and theatre activist Ashik Istiak; Sydney Policy and Analysis Centre researcher and writer Dr Mubashar Hasan; novelist and writer Ashif Entaz Rabi; independent filmmaker Sajib Tanvir; anthropological researcher Punny Kabir; Senior Staff Reporter of TIMES of Bangladesh Takie Mohammad Jubayer; activist and political analyst Murshid Selin; poet and rights activist Ferdous Ara Rumi; visual artist Ishrat Jahan Pritilata; writer and journalist Sabedin Ibrahim;
poet and journalist Rahman Mofiz; researcher Raisul Islam Akash; policy research analyst Hasnath Kalam Suhan; teacher, researcher and translator Tina Nandi; anthropologist and filmmaker Rafsun Ahmed; lawyer Masud Rana; writer and activist Rahat Mustafiz; Senior Lecturer at Independent University Bangladesh Md Ohiduzzaman; mathematician and activist Nafisa Raihana; political activist and government official in Sydney Syed Samnan; professional architect and university teacher Aminul Islam Emon; journalist and part-time teacher at Jahangirnagar University Alamgir Swapan; expatriate physician and researcher Shahed Iqbal; artist Farzana Wahid; essayist, translator and politician Firoz Ahmed; journalist and fact-checker Qadaruddin Shishir; professor at the University of Central Florida Dr Saiful Khondaker; advocate at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh Barrister Salah Uddin Bhuiyan; economist Galib Ibn Anwarul Azim; journalist Muktadir Rashid; PhD researcher at the University of Manchester Md Imran Hossain Bhuiyan; South-East Asian history researcher Altaf Parvez; software engineer and online activist Imtiaz Mirza; writer and political activist Tuhin Khan; psychologist and professor at Dhaka University Kamal Chowdhury; lawyer and adjunct professor at American University Washington DC Ehteshamul Haque; activist Russell Himadri; founding member of SHARP and Policy Watch BD Ronty Chowdhury; social innovation specialist at Impactrio Ashraful Hasan; political activist Faruk Sadik; PhD researcher at Concordia University Resat Amin Priya; Executive Director of BRAIN Shafiqur Rahman; Executive Editor of Counterpoint Jyoti Rahman; poet and journalist Rafsan Galib and Sydney Policy and Analysis Centre, as an institution.
