Law enforcers did not make any arrests in the last 24 hours over attacks on the Baul community, even after Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus issued a clear directive, telling authorities to track down these perpetrators.
AHM Shahadat Hossain, assistant inspector general (media) at the Police Headquarters, could not confirm any relevant arrests till Friday evening. Responding to a query from TIMES of Bangladesh, Manikganj Superintendent of Police Yasmin Khatun echoed the same information.
“I can confirm that no relevant arrests were made till Friday 6pm,” said the official.
Meanwhile on Friday, a young man fell victim to mob beating in Dhaka’s Purana Paltan area on suspicion of being a Baul. The identity of the victim has not yet been confirmed. The incident occurred in front of Purana Paltan College when Hefazat-e-Islam held a gathering in the Baitul Mukarram Mosque area after the Jumu’ah prayers.
Amid a spate of attacks on the Baul community across several districts in the past week, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Thursday ordered the relevant authorities to take immediate action against the perpetrators.
“The chief adviser has directed that everyone involved in the attacks on Bauls be arrested without delay,” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy after an Advisory Council meeting last Thursday.
He said the police are already acting on this order. “The government has taken the matter seriously.”
The directive came amid widespread criticism against the interim government’s silence about repeated attacks on the Baul community and of not arresting the perpetrators, which many alleged encouraged the “Tawhidi Janata” to continue their assaults.
Throughout the past week in Manikganj, Thakurgaon, and Khulna, mobs identifying themselves as Tawhidi Janata, assaulted several baul artistes and protesters, leaving them injured. In Manikganj, the attack took place right in front of police personnel.
Police and district administrations did not take any measures to arrest the perpetrators.
The recent attacks began in Manikganj where four Bauls were injured followed by beating of Shamsul Haque Chisti and Mukhles Pagla in Thakurgaon while they were preparing to protest the arrest of Baul leader Abul Sarkar.
In Khulna, perpetrators calling themselves Tawhidi Janata foiled a protest rally of Democratic Student Alliance against the attacks on the Baul and minority communities, and the shrines.
Mob attacked the rally in presence of policemen, leaving five protesters injured. The attackers also burned their banners.
Scuffles at Shahbagh
A programme demanding the unconditional release of Baul singer Abul Sarkar and justice for attacks on Baul artistes across the country was disrupted on Friday after an alleged attack, vandalism and scuffles broke out at Shahbagh in the city.
Organisers and participants alleged that several members of the group “July Moncho” stormed the “Ganer Artonad” event at around 4:30pm in front of Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, vandalising banners and engaging in physical confrontation.
They alleged that several “volunteers” linked to July Moncho, coming from the nearby “Concert for Dhaka” organised under the leadership of Usman Hadir, participated in the attack. The situation escalated as both sides engaged in pushing and shoving.
Sami Abdullah, general secretary of Biplobi Chhatra Maitri’s Dhaka University unit, told TIMES of Bangladesh, “People from July Moncho and Usman Hadir’s voter campaign concert attacked our pre-announced programme.
“It was completely pre-planned. Even before the programme started, they had gathered at different points. They vandalised our banner.”
Earlier on Friday, July Moncho held rallies titled “Ensuring maximum punishment for those who hurt religious sentiment” and “Resisting cultural conspiracies threatening national harmony” in front of the National Museum.
Speaking at the event, July Moncho representative Masum Billah said, “We were holding our programme nearby and told them not to organise any event supporting those who speak ill of religion. But they did not listen.”
He further said, “They always push women to the front in any confrontation. They are not women; they are terrorists, and they used them to attack.”
Shahriar Alam, one of the organisers of the July Moncho conference opposing “Baul Abul Sarkar’s release,” told the media that they had protested at the “Ganer Artonad” event, saying no form of “cultural fascism” would be allowed.
Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Khalid Monsur told TIMES that the two sides had engaged in pushing and shoving, but no formal complaint had been filed.
Hefazat’s ultimatum
Hefazat-e-Islam has threatened to bring Manikganj to a standstill if a case filed there is not withdrawn, and the people involved are not arrested by 6 December.
At the same time, the religion-based organisation has demanded exemplary punishment for Baul Abul Sarker.
Hefazat-e-Islam’s ultimatum came at a protest rally and procession in the Baitul Mukarram area of the capital. The leaders alleged that Baul Abul Sarker made derogatory remarks about Almighty Allah.
Leaders of the organisation said Abul Sarker’s comments were not only an insult to the religion, but a direct attack on the faith of Muslims. They warned of tougher programmes if exemplary punishment is not ensured.
“Abul Sarker has shown an audacity that no Muslim can ever tolerate. This is not just an insult to religion – it is an open attack on the faith of Muslims. We demand exemplary punishment for him,” said Junayed Al Habib, central senior joint secretary general.
Leaders alleged that hurting religious sentiments is a serious crime. To prevent such incidents from recurring, the government must take visible legal action. They also accused the authorities of sheltering Baul Abul Sarker while filing harassing cases against the Tawhidi Janata.
