Religious Protest Turns Violent Over Music Event in Rural Bangladesh

Musallis (devotees) faced resistance on their way back after stopping a dance and music event in Sherpur Sadar. As a result, Azizur Rahman—known as the chief religious scholar of the char area—along with two others, was injured. The incident occurred last Friday night around 10:30 PM in the Charbhavna Nayapara village of the Char Mocharia Union under the upazila.

The other injured individuals are Hafiz Shahinur Rahman Shahin and Mokhlesur Rahman. They have been admitted to a local hospital. Later that night, the musallis staged a protest. On Saturday, teachers and students from more than a hundred Qawmi madrasas suspended academic activities and blocked the Jhagarchar-Bakshiganj road near Nandir Bazar in Sherpur for about three hours.

From the protest, a declaration was made: until the attackers are arrested and brought to justice, residents of Nayapara village will be restricted from entering other villages, and their businesses will be banned from opening.

Sherpur Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Zubaidul Alam said that the situation is now calm. No one has submitted a written complaint. However, the police are still working to identify and apprehend the attackers.

According to local sources, the organization of Islamic scholars ‘Ittefaq-ul-Ulama’ has led to the cancellation of many dance and music events over the past four to five years in Kamarchar, Char Mocharia, and Char Pakhimari Unions of Sherpur Sadar.

Mohatamim Billah, an organizer of Ittefaq-ul-Ulama and assistant teacher at Kamarchar High School, along with locals, stated that around 10–15 days ago, a Jari music event was held in Nayapara village. At that event, boys and girls engaged in public indecency. Upon learning this, the senior-most Islamic scholar of the char area, Maulana Azizur Rahman, requested that such programs be stopped.

However, last Friday, the event organizers challenged the religious leaders through a social media post, vowing to host the Jari music event at any cost. Residents including Mr. Mister, Abdur Rahim, Momin, Jasim, Akram, Lal Miah, Sirmot, Rubel, Shahidul Muhuri, and Salam Muhuri set up the event at the land owned by Ward-1 member Md. Zafar.

Around 9:00 PM, over 250 locals and musallis gathered at Kamarchar Bazaar. As they marched to the event site, the attendees fled. The stage tent was then torn down and set on fire. While returning from the site, around 50–60 individuals launched a surprise attack on the musallis. They threw bricks and chased the group with local weapons. During this, the senior scholar and two others were injured.

In protest of the incident, musallis staged a demonstration that very night at Kandapara intersection in Charbhavna. A declaration was made to shut down all madrasas in the char area. The next day, from 10:00 AM, thousands of musallis and madrasa teachers and students blocked the Charbhavna four-road intersection for about three hours.

At the protest, Ittefaq-ul-Ulama president Azizur Rahman presided. Among the speakers were Siddiq Ahmed, Mohtamim of Jamia Siddiqia Madrasa in Sherpur Terabazar; Sheikh-ul-Hadith Safiuddin Kashemi; Ashraful Islam; Ahsan Ullah Siddiqi; Maulana Abdul Aziz, Mohtamim of Muksedpur Madrasa; and Shafiqul Islam, Mohtamim of Ferryghat Madrasa. AKM Ali Ullah Ahsan, Director of the Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Department of Mymensingh Division, also expressed solidarity and spoke at the event.

Senior officials including the Additional Superintendent of Police and the OC of Sadar Police Station arrived at the scene and promised justice, after which the blockade was lifted.

Ward-2 member of Char Mocharia UP, Mizanur Rahman, said, “The senior scholar has served as an Imam in the area for 33 years. It was not right to disrespect him. These programs bring in girls and promote obscenity under the guise of music and dance.”

Accused Mister said, “There was no obscenity in the Jari music event. A few members of the third gender performed dances.” Regarding the attack on the senior scholar, he said, “I respect him. There's no question of laying a hand on him.”

Md. Zafar, member of Ward-1 of Char Mocharia UP and owner of the land where the event was held, said, “As a public representative, I have to engage with both scholars and the general public. Recently, locals hosted the event at a space created by digging soil for a cattle farm, without informing me.”