Different groups of people attacked and vandalised a shrine at Savar, a darbar sharif in Kushtia, and a baul establishment in Faridpur between Sunday evening and Monday.
At least 30 people, mostly followers of Sufism, were injured as a group of villagers attacked a shrine at Chakulia village of Savar, on the outskirts of the capital.
The number of violence targeting religious and cultural sites, including both Sufi shrines and minority Hindu temples, is rising in the country even after interim government chief Muhammad Yunus鈥� September 14 assurance to protect these religious and cultural sites and promise to bring the attackers to book.
In Savar, about 10,000 people from nearby villages attacked the shrine at Chakulia village of Savar at about 10:00pm and vandalised it, Kazi Golam Morshed, younger brother of Peer Kazi Jaber Al Jahangir, said.
Savar Model Police Station inspector Ashique Iqbal said that villagers attacked the shrine at night.
Police and other forces rushed to the spot, brought the situation under control, and rescued the followers of the Peer.
In cooperation with Army and police, the Peer and over 70 of his followers were rescued at around 4:00am early Monday and the rescued ones were released at a safer place, Kazi Golam Morshed said.
Agitated villagers burned the gate of the house and a motorcycle and damaged the windows of the house.
Morshed said that his younger brother was among the five seriously injured people in the attack.
He alleged that local Salfi Peer Toibur Rahman Khan and Beraid mosque鈥檚 imam, Emdadul Haque, led the attack.
鈥業t was a planned attack. We will take legal action against the attackers,鈥� he said.
A number of villagers preferring anonymity said that Jaber used to upload controversial content on his Facebook page 鈥楽ufi Attoprokash鈥�.
They said that the villagers, after Esha prayers on Sunday, decided to meet Jaber to ask him about the sources of his statement.
However, they said, when a delegation of 15 people reached the Peer鈥檚 house, his followers began to throw brickbats and spray chili powder.
As the news spread, several thousand villagers gathered there and attacked the house.
In Faridpur, a group of attackers vandalised and set books and musical instruments on fire at a baul establishment, Lalon Anand Dham, in Motra village under Bhanga upazila early Monday.
The incident took place at about 3:00am, said Md Moksedur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Bhanga Police Station.
He said that the owner of the centre and assistant professor of Bengali at Sadarpur Government College, Syed Jahid Hasan, filed a complaint with the police station.
Syed Jahid Hasan said that Lalon Anand Dham was established in 2013.
鈥楾he attack was made at about 4:00am. I am an educated man, I cannot fight with arms,鈥� he said.
He said that, on September 12, a group issued threats on a Facebook post.
The centre hosts various cultural and research activities, including the celebration of folk music, literature, and birth anniversaries of renowned poets like Lalon, Rabindranath Tagore, and Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Meanwhile, a group of people vandalised and allegedly set Rashidiya Darbar Sharif on fire during an annual event in Charsadipur Union of Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia.
Kumarkhali Police Station officer-in-charge Akibul Islam said that the incident took place at about 9:00pm.
鈥楢 group of people, alleging that people are taking drugs in the name of Darbar Sharif, attacked the place. There is no casualty so far,鈥� he said.