Allegation of exhuming Pir Shamim's body from graveyard and reburying at darbar

The body of Abdul Rahman, also known as Pir Shamim, a controversial darbar chief in Kushtia's Daulatpur, has been allegedly exhumed from the local graveyard and reburied at his own darbar sharif by his followers.

According to the victim's relatives and local sources, Shamim had been buried in a local graveyard in the Phillipnagar Darogar Mor area of the upazila. His followers allegedly dug up the grave at some point on Friday night and took the body away. It was later reburied at the "Shamim Baba's Darbar Sharif" premises after preparing a fresh grave.

Fazlur Rahman, elder brother of the deceased darbar chief, said they went to the graveyard in the morning after receiving information and saw clear evidence of the grave being dug up and the body removed. They later saw a freshly dug grave in the darbar premises. He said his family had no involvement in the incident.

Upon receiving the news, Daulatpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Khaledur Rahman visited the scene on Saturday afternoon. He said preliminary investigation found evidence of the grave being transferred. Skeletal remains were seen in the new grave at the darbar. However, it will be confirmed through legal procedures whether those remains are Shamim's body.

Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Pradeep Kumar Das, who was present at the scene, said a body wrapped in polythene had been buried in a new grave at the darbar premises. Efforts are underway to confirm if it is Shamim's body. If the incident is confirmed, the body will be returned to its original grave.

Notably, on April 11 this year, Shamim's darbar was attacked, vandalised and set on fire over allegations of religious defamation. He was beaten to death that same day. After an autopsy on April 12, he was buried in a local graveyard.

The deceased's brother filed a murder case over the killing, naming four people, including a former president of the Kushtia district Shibir and a leader of Khelafat Majlish, and 180 to 200 unidentified individuals as accused.