A follower of Fakir Lalon Shah has reportedly been beaten up by a local Jamaat-e-Islami leader and his supporters in Kalia upazila of Narail.
The attack on Baul singer Harej Fakir, 84, took place under the leadership of Jamaat’s Ali Mia on Wednesday, the Bangla daily Samakal reported on Thursday.
The attackers also destroyed some of his musical instruments at the time.
Ali Mia is the elder brother of local Awami League leader and UP Chairman Amirul Islam.
Harej Fakir lodged a complaint at Kalia police station following the attack.
According to his complaint, Ali Mia and 20-25 of his followers attacked Harej Fakir and some others when they were playing music on Wednesday, before threatening to evict and kill them.
When asked about the complaint, Ali Mia said Harej Fakir had been consuming and selling cannabis for some time.
Ali Mia also said he was not active in Jamaat politics anymore.
Amirul Islam said he asked Harej Fakir not to take illegal drugs after receiving complaints from locals.
His musical instruments had not been destroyed, he added. “They (Harej Fakir and his followers) are lying. My brother was not involved in that incident,” he said.
Harej Fakir maintained that Ali Mia was behind the attack and demanded justice.
Denying the allegations of drug use, he said he had lived in the area for 50 years and it was the first time someone had accused him of something like that.
They were making the accusation because they did not want him to play music, Harej Fakir said.
Kalia police station OC Sheikh Tasmim Alam said the police would take legal action after investigation.
Attacks on Bauls – people who celebrate the mystic songs and philosophy of Fakir Lalon Shah – are not that uncommon in the country. A number of Baul singers have been killed and injured across the country in recent years by religious extremists while many others have faced physical assaults and legal action.