Jamaat, Shibir allegedly attack devotees at Shah Ali shrine in Mirpur; groups deny claim

A group of men armed with sticks and wearing facemasks attacked and evicted devotees at the shrine of Shah Ali in Mirpur early Friday.

The devotees and police claimed activists of the biggest opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, carried out the attack.

Jamaat Dhaka North unit chief Selim Uddin has rejected the allegations.

It is worth noting that none was arrested nor was any case filed over the incident as of Friday evening. Police are probing the incident, said Shah Ali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jahangir Alam.

The shrine falls in the Dhaka-14 constituency area, from where Jamaat leader Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem was elected as a lawmaker during the 12 February general elections.

Videos of the incident, which quickly went viral on social media, showed several men chasing and beating devotees with sticks before forcing them out of the shrine premises.

Police denied that the shrine itself came under attack, but acknowledged that local Jamaat-Shibir activists likely conducted supposedly an “anti-drug drive” inside the shrine area.

Local residents said around 70 to 80 people suddenly entered the shrine premises past midnight carrying sticks and metal pipes.

“The group started beating devotees, followers and visitors immediately after entering the shrine. They then drove everyone out,” a local resident said.

Eyewitnesses claimed several people were injured during the incident, sparking fear among devotees who regularly gather at the centuries-old shrine every Thursday night.

DMP Darus Salam Zone Assistant Commissioner Emdad Hossain said local Jamaat-Shibir activists carried out the drive to prevent drug dealing and drug abuse inside the shrine premises.

“There was no attack. Local Jamaat-Shibir leaders and activists conducted an anti-drug drive in the area,” he said, adding that a similar drive had been carried out last week under the leadership of a local BNP leader.

However, videos circulating online showed devotees and visitors being beaten with sticks inside the shrine area.

Asked about the footage, the police official said legal action would be taken if anyone filed a complaint.

Contacted on Friday, Jamaat’s Dhaka North city unit chief Selim Uddin denied the allegations to Daily Sun, saying Jamaat-Shibir activists had no reason to carry out such an attack.

The incident has intensified concerns over repeated attacks and intimidation surrounding shrines and religious gatherings across the country in recent months.