There is no end to escalation of religious extremism in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Muhammed Yunus. After harassment and arrest of Baul singers, now hardline Islamist groups in Bangladesh have issued public threats to demolish the revered Mausoleum of Fakir Lalon Shah, the 19th-century mystic poet and spiritual leader whose syncretic philosophy has long symbolized cultural harmony in the region.
In a video shared on X by journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, a member of the radical Hefazat-e-Islam network can be hard threatening to demolish the tomb of Lalon, declaring the shrine un-Islamic. “Lalon’s grave is a symbol of shirk (idolatry), and it must be razed to protect the faith,” the cleric is heard saying.
Now Islamists in Bangladesh are planning to demolish the grave of Lalon, a spiritual leader, philosopher and poet – also known as Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir and Shaiji. Lalon's philosophy of humanity rejects all distinctions of caste, class and creed. pic.twitter.com/fM5nqrXsgM
— Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury (@salah_shoaib) November 29, 2025
The Cleric alleged that the shrine has become a place of consumption of alcohol and Ganja, and said that if it is not stopped, they will launch a mass movement and demolish the grave.
The shrine, located in Chhauriya village in Kushtia district, often called Bangladesh’s cultural heartland, draws thousands annually for Lalon fairs, where Baul singers perform his timeless Baul songs of unity and transcendence.
This threat comes on the heels of a violent crackdown on Baul singers, who carry forward Lalon’s legacy through folk music blending Sufi, Vaishnava, and indigenous traditions. UNESCO-recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Baul performances have faced relentless targeting since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, with extremists labelling them “heretical” and disruptive to orthodox Islamic norms.
In recent weeks, several incidents of targeting Baul singers have emerged. This started with arrest of prominent Baul singer Abul Sarkar on allegations of ‘blasphemy,’ on 19 November. Soon after his arrest, violent Muslim mobs operating under the banner of ‘Tawhidi Janata‘ and ‘Alems-Ulama’ begun hounding Abul Sarkar outside the premises of the court.
When other Baul singers came out protesting against the arrest, they were attacked by fundamentalists in several places. There were also open call for slaughter of Baul singers.
On November 26 in Thakurgaon district, members of the Islamist outfit Tawhidi Janata, notorious for anti-minority violence, stormed a gathering of Baul artists, hurling stones and chanting calls for their “slaughter.” Viral videos show performers fleeing into nearby waters to escape the mob, with several sustaining serious injuries.
Just days earlier, on November 23 in Manikganj district near Dhaka, supporters of arrested Baul leader Abul Sarkar were beaten with sticks and bricks during a peaceful human chain protest demanding his release. Four singers were hospitalized after jumping into a roadside pond to evade the attackers, who pelted them with stones as they swam.
Chants of ‘একটা দুইটা বাউল ধর, ধইরা ধইরা জবাই কর (Pick one or two Baul at a time, pick and slaughter them)’ rocked through the streets of Manikganj, as the fundamentalists marched demanding action on Baul singers.
Earlier this month, similar arrests rocked the community, including the detention of other performers in Joypurhat and Dinajpur for staging women’s cultural events deemed “immoral.” Over 300 music gatherings, many honouring Lalon, have been cancelled since late 2024 due to threats, according to Sardar Hirak Raja, secretary of the Bangladesh Baul and Folk Artists Association. “We have sung for decades without fear, but now the future is shrouded in darkness,” lamented Kushtia-based Sufi singer Jamal in August.
Baul singers represent one of the oldest and distinctive cultural traditions in Bangladesh. However, they are now living in fear under Yunus regime.
At the centre of this storm stands Lalon Shah (1772–1890), a self-taught peasant from rural Bengal whose life defies rigid categorization. Born into poverty and orphaned young after surviving smallpox, an ordeal that left him abandoned by companions and rescued by a Muslim fakir in then undivided India, Lalon founded the Lalon Akhra, a spiritual hub in Kushtia that transcended religious boundaries.
Lalon composed over 2,000 songs orally, and rejected caste, creed, and dogma. His works had influenced giants like Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and even American poet Allen Ginsberg.
However, with the rise of Islamic fundamentalists in Bangladesh under Nobel Prize winner Yunus, the country is demolishing its own legacy. During the protests, students demolished memorials dedicated to the birth of the nation, and now they have started targeting their own cultural heritage.
OpIndia had previously reported how blasphemy is being weaponised in Bangladesh to persecute Hindus and other religious and ethnic minorities. The Islamic Republic is also witnessing a concerted campaign to ban ‘haram’ music.