Angry mob kills Sufi elder in Bangladesh over blasphemy
Hundreds of men armed with sticks set fire to the victim’s darbar in the Kushtia district. A video of Pir Abdur Rahman, 65, allegedly insulting the Qur‘an from three years ago circulated on social media. Police failed to stop the violence. The authorities and NGOs slammed security failures, calling for investigations, but no arrests have yet been made.
Kushtia (AsiaNews) – A Sufi spiritual leader was beaten and hacked to death last Saturday when an angry mob attacked, vandalised, and set fire to his darbar (shrine) in western Bangladesh's Kushtia district.
This incident once again highlights the fragility of the rule of law and the persistence of gang violence in the South Asian country in connection with accusations of religious insult.
The murder took place in Daulatpur upazila (subdistrict), near the Shamim Babar Darbar Sharif. The victim, identified as Pir (elder) Abdur Rahman, also known as Shamim Reza or Jahangir, was 65 years old.
According to police, the violence erupted after residents accused him of blasphemy for insulting the Qur‘an, after a three-year-old, 30-second video resurfaced on social media, in which he allegedly makes derogatory remarks about Islam’s holy book. The video spread quickly online on Friday, sparking anger among several local groups.
Kushtia Superintendent of Police Mohammad Jasim Uddin said a group of people began gathering around noon on Saturday. Then, hundreds of men armed with sticks marched towards the darbar, chanting slogans.
Videos circulating on local media and social platforms show a mob on the attack, damaging two single-story concrete buildings and a sheet metal warehouse before setting fire to parts of the structures.
Witnesses reported that five to seven people inside the darbar were injured during the attack, while others managed to escape.
Firefighters arrived on the scene and put out the fire, but by then the complex had already sustained severe damage.
Police said that Shamim Reza and two other people were rescued and taken to the Daulatpur Upazila Health Complex, where the pir died.
“We tried to save him, but the number of police officers was far smaller than the size of the crowd,” Superintendent Jasim Uddin said. “It was not possible to control the situation. The mob beat him to death.”
Residents, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the violence was preceded by a gathering of more than a hundred people in the Abeder Ghat area, about half a kilometre from the darbar. From there, they marched towards the shrine just after noon.
A 18-minute video circulating online shows a large number of people walking along the village road before storming the darbar.
Shamim Reza's life reflects a journey that combines formal education with subsequent involvement in religious practice.
He graduated in 1984 from the Islampur State Primary School and Philipnagar High School, subsequently earned a diploma from Kumarkhali Degree College, a Bachelor of Science in Commerce (BCom) from Bheramara College, and a Master's Degree from Jagannath University College in Dhaka.
He worked for some time at a private company in Keraniganj, but quit to become a follower and assistant to Golam-e-Baba Kalandar Jahangir Sureshwari.
Around 2018, he returned to his home village and founded his own darbar, with devotional music every Thursday evening.
Political and civic leaders condemned the murder.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) MP Reza Ahmed Bachchu Molla, who represents the Daulatpur constituency, reiterated that no individual or group has the right to take the law into their own hands:
“If anyone creates disorder in society, it is the administration’s responsibility to take action. Killing cannot be justified,” he said, adding that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
Human rights organisations have also expressed concern. The NGO Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) called the murder a serious failure by law enforcement.
ASK Senior Coordinator Abu Ahmed Faizul Kabir warned that repeated attacks on Sufi shrines and religious figures indicate a dangerous climate of impunity.
Legal advocacy groups have also called for an impartial investigation, the prosecution of all those responsible, and stricter measures to prevent the dissemination on social media of provocative content that could incite violence.
Despite visits by senior security and administration officials, more than 24 hours after the incident, no investigation has been opened nor have any arrests been made.
The incident comes amid ongoing concerns in Bangladesh regarding summary justice related to accusations of blasphemy and other religious offences, with people calling for urgent action regarding accountability, public order, and the protection of fundamental rights.
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11/07/2019 17:37
