Overview
- Detective Branch detained Abul Sarkar at a Madaripur show on charges of provoking violence and hurting religious sentiment, then a Manikganj court sent him to jail the same day.
- Two days later, activists under the Tawhidi Janata banner attacked fellow mystic singers during a rally for his release on Dhaka’s northern outskirts, leaving four seriously wounded.
- A statement by 250 prominent citizens said religious extremism has surged since the 2024 uprising and listed abuses including demolition of more than 200 shrines and forced haircutting of bauls and fakirs.
- Rights groups Ain o Salish Kendra and Transparency International Bangladesh voiced concern over the attacks and a growing hostility to religious harmony.
- The cultural affairs adviser said the Home Ministry is handling the case and the government is working to identify attackers, as baul artists, students, and cultural activists staged protests in Dhaka and at Jahangirnagar University.