Ancient Sufi Shrine Desecrated in Gouripur Attack

The historic Shahjahanduddin (R.) Auliya Mazar in Gouripur, Mymensingh, became the site of a repulsive act of vandalism on Thursday night. According to local residents and the shrine’s custodians, a group of unidentified miscreants not only demolished the perimeter walls of the centuries-old Sufi site but also deliberately desecrated the interior by throwing polythene bags filled with human excrement and cow dung.

The incident took place in Tengapara village under the Gouripur Upazila. The gravity of the desecration was discovered early Friday morning when devotees arrived for dawn prayers. They were met with the sight of the shrine’s boundary wall reduced to rubble and the sacred inner sanctum littered with filth. As news of the sacrilege spread, hundreds of villagers gathered at the site, expressing profound outrage and demanding the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

Historical and Cultural Significance

The shrine is a landmark of significant antiquity, deeply embedded in the local cultural fabric. It has long served as a spiritual hub for pilgrims travelling from distant districts.

Md. Saidur Rahman, the 70-year-old Khadem (custodian) who has maintained the shrine for four decades, expressed his heartbreak over the event. He noted that according to local oral tradition, the shrine dates back to the Mughal Emperor’s era. “In all my forty years of service, and in the history passed down to us, such a heinous and barbaric act has never occurred here,” he lamented.

Reaction from Local Authorities

The local Union Parishad member, Md. Jewel Miah, visited the scene and described the act as a calculated attempt to offend religious sentiments. He confirmed that the intruders used polythene bags to hurl impurities inside, showing a “shameful level of audacity.”

However, the response from law enforcement has been perceived by some as surprisingly dismissive. Md. Kamrul Hasan, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gouripur Police Station, confirmed that a police team had inspected the site and verified the structural damage and the presence of filth. Curiously, the OC remarked that there was “no scope to view this as a major incident,” suggesting that high-level criminals were likely not involved. He further noted that the shrine had not hosted a large-scale Urs (festival) in nearly a decade, and as of Friday evening, no formal written complaint had been lodged.

This stance has done little to pacify the local community, who fear that a lack of rigorous investigation may embolden further attacks on religious heritage sites. Local resident Farrukh Ahmed insisted that the culprits must be identified through a proper probe to prevent communal tension from escalating in the region.