Jamaat activists accused of attacking visitors at Shah Ali shrine in Mirpur; party denies involvement
The incident took place around 1am during a weekly gathering and Urs held beside a field inside the shrine premises.
Visitors at the shrine of Shah Ali Baghdadi Shrine in Mirpur were allegedly attacked by local activists linked to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in the early hours today (15 May).
The incident took place around 1am during a weekly gathering and Urs held beside a field inside the shrine premises.
However, Jamaat denied the involvement of party activists.
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Speaking to Prothom Alo, party's Dhaka North city unit Ameer Selim Uddin said, "There was no reason for Jamaat or Islami Chhatra Shibir activists to carry out such an attack."
"Jamaat-Shibir members had no reason to attack anyone. They were not involved," he added.
According to police and eyewitnesses, devotees from different parts of the country had gathered at the shrine when a group of around 70 to 80 men carrying sticks entered the area.
They assaulted several visitors and forced them to leave, accusing some people of using drugs near the shrine.
Videos of the incident later spread widely on social media, showing people with sticks chasing and beating devotees and visitors inside the shrine area, triggering criticism online.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Darussalam Zone Assistant Commissioner Emdad Hossain told The Business Standard that some men and women from outside the area were reportedly using drugs beside the Rawza late at night, after which locals removed them from the premises.
He said sticks were visible in the hands of those seen in the videos, though allegations of assault had not yet been fully verified.
When asked about claims involving Jamaat activists, the police official said the people involved were locals and that one or two individuals "might be linked to Jamaat".
Mirpur Division Deputy Commissioner Mostak Sarkar said legal action would be taken if a complaint is filed.
The incident has raised concern among followers of Shah Ali Baghdadi over what they describe as a continuing pattern of attacks on shrines since the July Uprising in 2024.
The centuries-old shrine in Mirpur-1 hosts gatherings every Thursday night, attracting devotees from Dhaka and other parts of the country.
According to a report by "Maqam: Center for Sufi Heritage", 97 shrines across Bangladesh were attacked between August 2024 and December 2025, with the highest number of incidents reported in Dhaka and Chattogram divisions.
