Miscreants’ attacks, ransacked and set fire to a Baul Akhra in Chuadanga on Tuesday night.
The incident took place at Belgachi village of Chuadanga Sadar upazila. The Akhra is known as Muntaz Shah’s mazar, a follower of Baul king Fakir Lalan Shah. It was established 3 years ago.
After the incident, many Bauls follows the akhra, fled the area in fear of their lives.
Although a written complaint was lodged at the police station on Wednesday morning, no arrests have been made as of writing this report at 5.30 pm on Wednesday.
Police said they are looking into the matter at their best.
According to the written complaint of Khadem of the akhra Azizur Rahman, a group of miscreants attacked the akhra with sharp weapons on Tuesday night after 8:30 or so. They screamed and shout, also abused inaudibly. At one stage, they cut the tin fence of the house with sharp weapons, disconnected the electricity. Cut fruit and flower trees on the yard and set fire on shrine's tabernacle.
At that time, they broke the donation box kept in the akhra and looted at least Tk. 50,000 from there.
This Akhrabari is located in the Muslimpara field, two kilometers away from Chuadanga district town. Every year on 1st of February a Baul congressional is held with Baul followers.
A preparation for baul gathering was taking there when there incident took place.
Akhrabari president Shah Abdur Razzak said they could not name the attackers as some of them are known, some are not. He, however, believes that the attack was pre-planned.
According to him, such type of attack is intended to oust the Bauls from the society.
District Intelligence Branch (DB) and Sadar police station visited the spot on Wednesday.
General Secretary of Chuadanga District Baul Kalyan Sanstha Muslim Uddin claimed that the incident was instigated by fundamentalists. He said this attack on Bauls is not new. Such incidents have happened several times in this district. He blamed that this is not stopping because there no justice was.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sadar Police Station Mahabur Rahman said the police are working to identify the miscreants involved in the incident. He said the Akhrabari is about one and a half kilometers away from the locality in a field. They are investigating.
District Additional Superintendent of Police Anisuzzaman visited the spot. He said the police is looking into the whole matter.
Our Correspondent, Kushtia