Attacks, including vandalism, looting and arson, on shrines and darbars have continued across the country since August 2024 as no cases have been filed in 61 per cent of such incidents during the time.
A total of 26 cases were filed while 67 such incidents happened at 65 places across the country from August 5, 2024 to April 20 this year, according to police headquarters data.
Of the 26 cases filed during the period, the PHQ data show, police arrested 67 people, submitted charge-sheets in nine cases, six final reports to courts, while 11 were under investigation.
The incidents took place mostly during the interim government that assumed office on August 8, 2024 after the student-led July 2024 mass uprising forced the ouster of the Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India on August 5, 2024 for shelter.
There are allegations that police did not record cases with named accused and many victims were unwilling to file complaints out of fear due to rise of mob violence during the then interim government period.
Shah Sufi Rajaji Mazar at Purbachal, on the outskirts of the capital, was attacked, vandalised, set on fire and looted between 9:00pm on August 5 and 5:00am on August 6.
‘I repeatedly went time to the Rupganj police station for filing a case in this regard but the police did not record the case. I also went with the plaintiff in mid-October, 2025 but they suggested filing case without named accused,’ alleged Supreme Court lawyer Syeda Jahida Sultana.
She said that it was unfortunate that the case was not filed till April 21 this year -- over two years and eight months after the incident.
Referring to different shrines and darbar authorities, the lawyer said that 113 shrines and darbars were attacked damaging properties and assets worth Tk 520 crore.
According to PHQ deputy inspector general for Crime Management Mohammad Abu Sufian, if any police station OC does not record a case, the plaintiff can go to the district superintendent of police or the higher authorities concerned.
‘We always welcome plaintiffs to file cases. We take actions and conduct investigations after a case was filed,’ he added.
PHQ data also reveal that 40 general diaries were recorded compared to 67 incidents from the August 5, 2024 political changeover till Monday.
Supreme Court lawyer Jotirmoy Barua, also a human rights activist, said that it was a common practice among police not to record cases and confuse people by using different legal loopholes, with showing the incidents being recorded as general diaries.
‘Most of the attacks on shrines and darbars occurred during the interim government due to a fragile law and order situation in that period,’ he said, adding that police were often unwilling to record named accused due to fear of backlash from local, social and political powerful persons.
Recently, in the early hours of April 11, an angry mob attacked, vandalised and set fire to the Shamim Baba’s darbar in Kushtia’s Daulatpur upazila, leaving pir Abdur Rahman Shamim, 65, killed and at least four others injured.
The victim’s elder brother Fazlur Rahman filed a case on April 14 with the Daulatpur police station against four identified individuals, including two local leaders of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, along with 180 to 200 unidentified people over the killing of pir Abdur Rahman.
Police could not arrest anyone over the killing till filing the report on Tuesday evening.
Daulatpur police station officer-in-charge M Arifur Rahman said that no one had been arrested in connection with the incident so far.
He, however, added that efforts were under way to apprehend those involved as law enforcement agencies were continuing raids at different locations.
Referring to the recent killing of the pir in Kusthia, he said that it was unfortunate that the country had to witness such an incident during the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government where the home minister repeatedly warned tougher actions against any kind of mob violence, including attacks on shrines, darbars, and bauls.
Human rights activist Nur Khan Liton said that religious extremist groups and some right-wing political forces saw an opportunity to unleash their anger against such entities and practices after the August 2024 political changeover.
‘Many of these groups do not like Sufism, shrine-based practices and cultural activities and they provoke general people to launch such attacks,’ said Nur Khan, adding that cases were not reported in many cases while only general diaries were filed.
Of the 67 incidents, the Dhaka Police Range accounted for the highest 25 incidents, followed by the Chattogram Range with 15, Mymensingh with eight, Khulna with four, Rangpur and Rajshahi with three each, Sylhet with two and Barishal with one, the PHQ data show.
On September 18, 2025, a group of people attacked and vandalised four shrines and set them ablaze at Homna upazila in Cumilla over a social media post containing allegedly derogatory remarks on Prophet Muhammad.
An angry mob using loudspeakers gathered people and then attacked Kafil Uddin Shah and Hawali Shah shrines, vandalised and set fire to them, while the mob also damaged Kalai Shah and Abdu Shah shrines at Asadpur village of Asadpur union under Homna upazila in Cumilla district.
Homna police station OC Tomas Barua said that a case was filed with the police station following the incident and police had so far arrested four people.
The shrines and darbars that were attacked since August 2024 included: Garibshah Babar Mazar in Jashore, Dargah Mazar at Parulia of Palash in Narsingdi, Chandpur Darbar at Laksam in Cumilla, Khazababa Shahsufi Abul Hasan Chisti Rawja at Tarerpukur in Khulna, Baro Awlia shrine in Chattagram, Noor Isar Darbar at Goripur in Mymensingh, Borhanuddin Biran Shah shrine at Tejgaon Colony Bazar in Dhaka, Haider Ali Shah shrine 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.
