Maqam calls for harshest penalty in Kushtia pir killing

The Center for Sufi Heritage, Maqam, a research organisation focused on the Sufi community, has strongly condemned the attack, vandalism and killing of Pir Shamim Reza Jahangir in Philipnagar, Daulatpur Upazila, Kushtia.

At the same time, the organization has demanded that those involved in the incident be identified quickly and the maximum punishment be ensured through legal process.

The organization made this demand in a statement sent to the media on Saturday night.

A group of people attacked the shrine in Daulatpur, alleging insult to religion around 2:30pm last Saturday. The attackers vandalized and set fire to the shrine and hacked and beat Pir Shamim Reza Jahangir to death. Several others were injured in the incident.

The statement said that attacks on shrines and shrines are taking place continuously in the country. According to their information, there were at least 97 attacks on shrines during the interim government, in which 3 people were killed and 468 injured.

The organization claimed that although cases were filed in these incidents, there was no effective progress in most cases, which is worrying.

The statement also said that although letters were sent to various political parties before the upcoming elections, none of the parties made a clear commitment in their manifestos regarding the security of shrines and Sufi establishments. This was described as disappointing.

The organization claimed that such brutal incidents are happening due to lack of effective action and administrative negligence. They demanded a speedy investigation, arrest of the culprits and exemplary punishment.