Different sections of people continue protests as at least 25 incidents of attacks and vandalism at shrines occurred recently in different parts of the country following the ouster of the Awami League regime.
Protesting at the attacks, different organisations urged the interim government to ensure security for the shrines and the devotees and take measures to stop the attacks.
In an open letter to interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, 100 citizens under the banner of Ganatantrik Bangladesh (Europe) on聽 Thursday expressed concern over the attacks on shrines and temples in the country.聽聽
In another statement, 46 citizens including teachers, writers, journalists and rights activists on Thursday said that the law enforcement agencies must be active without further delay and stop such attacks on shrines and religious establishments.
The signatories to the statement included economist professor Anu Muhammad, journalist Abu Sayeed Khan, artist Mustafa Zaman and poet Shakhawat Tipu.
A shrine was attacked and vandalised on Wednesday by locals at Buchai Pagla mazar in the Batulia area of Dhamrai in Dhaka on allegation of anti-Islamic activities and spread of drugs at the shrine.
Miscreants on September 6 attacked and torched the Babe Jannat Dewanbag Sharif, a shrine in the Madanpur area of Narayanganj鈥檚 Bandar upazila that left four persons injured.
抖阴精品 staff correspondent from Sylhet reported that at least 25 people were injured as the devotees of Hazrat Shah Paran shrine clashed with the representatives of Islamic clerics, and madrassah students at the premises of the shrine in Sylhet early Monday.
Witnesses said that the representatives of the ulema and madrassah students on September 6 asked the devotees not to arrange any programme of music and smoke hemp in the shrine area during the three-day programme, which was supposed to begin on Sunday marking the death anniversary of saint Hazrat Shah Paran.
At least 25 incidents of vandalism and torching of shrines took place in a month since the interim government came to power, said Syed Tarik, who is collecting information about the attacks on shrines voluntarily.
Talking to 抖阴精品, Tarik said that the government should ensure enough security for the shrines and protection of the followers.
It was reported that miscreants carried out attacks at 25 shrines including Goribshah Babar Mazar in Jashore, Dargah Mazar at Parulia of Palash in Narsingdi, Chandpur Darbar Sharif at Laksam in Cumilla, Khazababa Shahsufi Abul Hasan Chisti Rawja sharif at Tarerpukur in Khulna, Baro Awlia in Chattagram, Noor Isar Darbar Sharif at Goripur in Mymensingh, Borhanuddin Biran Shah at Tejgaon Colony Bazar in Dhaka, Golap Shah at Raipur in Narsingdi, Haider Ali Shah at Hazaribagh in Dhaka, Al Jahangir Mazar at Daluar Char of Polash in Narsingdi, Koppa Paglar Mazar at Parulia of Polash in Narsingdi, Ali Pagla Mazar at Kazipur in Sirajganj, Syed Reza Sarwar Rajaji Chisty Mazar at Rupganj, Aynal Shah Mazar at Sonargaon in Narayanganj, Bibi Sokhinar Mazar in Thakurgaon, Altaf Shadhu Mazar at Shialkol in Sirajganj town, and Hanif Shah Mazar at Monohardi in Narsingdi.
It is alleged that the local anti-shrine people and madrassah students are allegedly involved in the incidents and they are carrying out the attacks on the shrines, terming them as anti-Islamic.
Allegations were also found that the leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh and Awami League were involved with the attacks on shrines.
Contacted, publicity and media wing secretary of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Matiur Rahman Akand told 抖阴精品 that Jamaat was not involved with such attacks.
鈥業 have seen in some newspaper report that in some attacks Chhatra League was involved. We do not believe in such attacks,鈥� he added.
However, AL joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim told 抖阴精品 that Awami League is a political party which believes in non-communal politics and it never believes in sectarian politics.
鈥楽o leaders and activists of AL and its associate bodies were not involved in the attacks on the mazar [shrines] and mandirs [temples]鈥�, he added.
Denying the allegations of the involvement of Hefazat people in the attacks, Azizul Haque Islamabadi, joint secretary of Hefazat, however, told 抖阴精品 that his party was not involved in such attacks and they didn鈥檛 believe in such attacks.
鈥榃e have instructed our party leaders and activists not to be involved with such attacks,鈥� he added.
Earlier, Ekotar Bangladesh on Wednesday formed a human chain on the Dhaka University campus, protesting at the attacks on shrines and religious structures across the country and to express solidarity with the religious pluralism in Bangladesh.
鈥楾he relationship between Islam and Sufism in Bangladesh is deeply intertwined. The 1872 census shows that 48 per cent of the population in Bengal were Muslims, while in Delhi, under Muslim rule, only 11 per cent were Muslims,鈥� said DU鈥檚 Department of World Religions and Culture professor Shafi Md Mostofa while addressing the human chain in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture at the Dhaka University.