On 15 May 2026, a group of men reportedly attacked and vandalised the shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Ali Baghdadi in Mirpur, Dhaka, during the weekly Urs, a devotional gathering commonly held at Sufi shrines involving prayer, music, remembrance and collective rituals. Several devotees were reportedly injured after men carrying sticks entered the shrine premises and assaulted visitors.
Media reports alleged involvement of individuals linked to Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s main parliamentary opposition party with an Islamist political orientation, and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir. Jamaat has denied the allegation and a local Jamaat leader claimed the incident was linked to a narco-trafficking police operation, even though police rejected this explanation. The attack is instead seen as part of a broader pattern of hostility toward Sufi shrines, Baul/mystic traditions, and pluralistic cultural practices in Bangladesh.
The attack has raised concern because shrines in Bangladesh are not only religious sites but also public spaces of folk culture, music, spiritual practice and social coexistence. Similar attacks and intimidation against shrines and mystic-cultural communities have been reported over the past two years, particularly since the political transition following August 2024, creating fear among devotees and weakening the enabling environment for pluralistic expression. The incident undermines freedom of religion or belief, peaceful assembly, cultural expression and civic tolerance. Transparency International Bangladesh condemned the Shah Ali shrine attack, describing it as an assault on Bangladesh’s folk heritage, pluralism and cultural diversity, and called for a fair investigation and government action against those responsible.