The uproar of miscreants continues in Bangladesh and it is not showing any signs of decreasing. In Bangladesh's Mymensingh district, a mob of Muslims suddenly attacked a Baul music concert. They beat up the singers present there and also shouted slogans of Allahu Akbar.
A day before, a Baul music festival was organized in the Mymensingh district. The music program was going on peacefully during the event, but as soon as the Muslim fundamentalists came to know about it, they reached the venue and attacked. Hundreds of Muslim fundamentalists (students of madrasa) who reached the venue beat up the singers and organizers. They ruthlessly broke the chairs and musical instruments kept there.
A group of local Bauls including 4 female singers took part in the musical programme. Eyewitnesses of the incident said that at around 11:30 pm, some students of the madrasa attacked the programme. They created a ruckus on the stage and vandalised it. They also broke the sound system and chairs.
Locals said that later in the morning around 3 madrasa students came there again and vandalised the dargah. A local shopkeeper said that people associated with the dargah left the place fearing attacks.
On the condition of anonymity, a Qawwali artist said that the unruly madrasa students attacked without any warning. The artist said, "If they had warned us before the event, we could have stopped the program." He said that this was the first attack in the 149-year history of the Dargah. Whereas this was the 119th edition of the Qawwali program.
Many people including a female artist were injured due to the attack. They were given initial treatment.
Regarding the incident, Kotwali Police Station in-charge Mohammad Shafikul Islam Khan said that they are investigating the matter and trying to identify the attackers. He said that no one has been detained yet and no case has been registered.
Locals say that the qawwali event was organised by Hazrat Shah Sufi Syed Kalu Shah Mazar Sharif to mark the annual Milad and Dua Mehfil organised for Sama Qawwali. The event started at 9:30 pm and was being held next to the dargah, which is opposite the Kotwali police station.
Baul is a type of folk singing, the singer is called Baul in Bengal. Another form of Baul is Bhaat which is mostly found in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Whereas in Uttar Pradesh it is called Fakir or Jogi. Generally, Aul, Baul, Sai, Fakir, Jogi, Darbes and Bhaat are forms of Baul.
