Bangladesh: hardliners kill Sufi spiritual leader over blasphemy allegations

Sanjoy Kumar Barua

A Sufi spiritual leader was beaten to death in western Bangladesh on Saturday after a large group of religious hardliners stormed his shrine following allegations of blasphemy that resurfaced on social media, officials and police said.

The victim, Abdur Rahman Shamim , also known locally as Jahangir, 60, was killed at “Shamim Baba’s Darbar Sharif” in Philipnagar village under Daulatpur upazila in Kushtia district after a prolonged and violent attack.

According to witnesses and police officials, hundreds of fanatics gathered around midday before entering the shrine complex, vandalising the premises and attacking the spiritual leader.

He was dragged outside and assaulted with sticks as well as sharp and blunt weapons.

Witnesses said the radical group stormed the site, ransacked the structure, and destroyed furniture and religious artefacts. Parts of the shrine were also set on fire during the attack.

Dr Md Touhidul Hasan Tuhin, health and family planning officer of Daulatpur Upazila Health Complex, said three injured people were brought to the facility around 3:20pm.

“Shamim was declared dead on arrival, while the other two are undergoing treatment,” he said. “He had injuries consistent with sharp weapons and blunt force.”

A police official said officers were deployed after early signs of tension but were unable to control the situation due to the size and intensity of the crowd.

“Although police attempted to intervene, the number of personnel was insufficient compared to the size of the gathering,” said Kushtia Superintendent of Police Mohammad Jashim Uddin.

“The situation escalated beyond control.”
He added that an investigation has been launched into both the killing and the circulation of a video that allegedly triggered the violence.

Police sources said Jahangir had previously been briefly detained in 2021 over similar allegations linked to remarks that angered local residents.

The same footage, recorded years earlier, resurfaced on social media this week and spread rapidly, triggering widespread outrage and mobilisation.

Local residents said the attackers acted in response to the allegations. Authorities have not confirmed any organisational involvement.

The shrine was left severely damaged, with burned sections, shattered furniture, and vandalised religious structures reported after the attack.

The killing comes amid a broader rise in incidents of collective violence in Bangladesh, where allegations of religious offence increasingly escalate into attacks before formal investigations or legal proceedings can take place.

Such attacks have become more frequent in recent years.

According to available figures, at least 153 people were killed in collective violence between August 2024 and September 2025.

Saturday’s killing was the first such incident reported since the Bangladesh Nationalist Party came to power following the February 2026 political transition.

Amid growing concern over repeated violence, Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua said in a social media post:

“This state, even after so many years, has not undertaken any project to make people humane. It has handed over various instruments, including religion, into the hands of violent actors. Without sensitivity, extreme violence has taken hold across society. The incidents in Bagerhat and Kushtia are connected by the same thread. If such incidents continue even under an elected government, the promise of establishing the rule of law will never be fulfilled.”

“All incidents of collective violence that took place during the interim government period must be properly investigated and brought to justice. Those who incited violence and manufactured consent have faced no legal scrutiny and remain free while violence continues. They must be held accountable to set an example. The previous government failed to control these issues. An elected government cannot afford to fail. Those involved must be arrested and brought to trial. If justice had been ensured in earlier cases of shrine demolitions, the killing in Kushtia would not have happened”, he wrote.

Another writer, Asif Bin Ali, also alleged in a social media post:

“People are being gathered after allegations of insulting Islam over music and performance, and attacks are being carried out on a pir (spiritual leader) and his followers by so-called ‘Tawhidi Janta.’ They are being hacked to death. A few days ago, they burned a dead body, and even living people were killed and set on fire. Police reportedly knew that preparations for these attacks were underway but did not take any action.”

“Under suspicion of homosexuality, a group called ‘Azadi,’ using the name of ‘Tawhidi Janta,’ beat and injured people in front of a police station in the capital. Wearing religious clothing, a cap, and a panjabi seems to have made all criminal acts seem lawful.”

“There has been no statement from these religious leaders regarding the sexual abuse of boys in residential madrasas. Newspapers are calling the attackers “people,” while portraying the victims as “homosexual” or so-called ‘pir,’ and blaming them. There is no statement from the opposition party, and no statement from the government’s Home Minister either. There is no discussion in parliament. Everyone is busy with the July Charter.”

“There is extreme negligence toward citizens’ suffering. If everything is ignored, the country should simply be renamed Afghanistan, so that religion is “protected.” Those who are using Islam in this way as Islamo-fascists should be protested. If people remain silent, one day neither Islam nor the country will survive; they will destroy everything” Asif added.

Authorities said the situation in Kushtia was later brought under control following the deployment of additional security forces. No arrests have been announced so far.