A man was killed, and at least three others were injured after a mob attacked, vandalised and set fire to a shrine in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia on Saturday, following allegations of insulting religious sentiments.
The deceased was identified as Abdur Rahman, also known as Shamim, 65, described by locals as the “pir” of the shrine, locally known as Shamim Babar Darbar Sharif in the Darogar Mor area of Philipnagar union.
According to police, administration officials and local sources, tensions escalated after an old video resurfaced on social media on Friday, allegedly showing Shamim making derogatory remarks about Islam.
Witnesses said that on Saturday morning, more than a hundred people gathered near Abeder Ghat, about half a kilometre from the shrine, amid growing anger over the video.
After Zuhr prayers, a large group of people from surrounding areas marched towards the shrine with sticks, rods and sharp weapons. They later launched an attack, vandalising the premises and setting parts of it on fire.
An 18-minute video that later went viral on social media shows scenes of the attack, including widespread vandalism and arson.
Several people present at the shrine were injured during the attack, while many fled the scene.
Daulatpur Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Touhidul Hasan said four injured individuals were brought to the local health complex in the afternoon.
“Shamim was in critical condition and died within minutes of being brought to the hospital due to excessive bleeding,” he said, adding that the other injured—a man and a woman—are out of danger.
Police said they were present in the area earlier but were unable to control the situation due to the large number of people involved.
Kushtia Superintendent of Police Mohammad Jasim Uddin said the viral video, though old, triggered the attack.
“There were fewer police personnel compared to the size of the crowd, making it difficult to bring the situation under control,” he said, adding that additional law enforcement members have since been deployed and the situation is now calm.
Deputy Commissioner Touhid Bin-Hasan said a large number of people entered the area from the rear side of the shrine, making it more challenging to contain the violence.
Fire service personnel later brought the blaze under control.
Police officials said no arrests had been made so far, but an investigation is underway to identify those involved and determine how the video resurfaced.
Records show that Shamim had previously been arrested in 2021 in a case filed with Daulatpur Police Station on charges including hurting religious sentiments.
