'Assault on bauls threat to country's culture'

Teachers, students and socio-cultural activists of Rajshahi University (RU) formed a human chain and held a rally yesterday demanding immediate arrest and exemplary punishment to the culprits who assaulted bauls (mystic singer) at Char Ramnagar village in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari district on April 6.

Speakers at the rally in front of the university's Ismail Hossain Siraji building also urged the progressive-minded people to raise their voice against the perpetrators of such heinous acts.

Terming the assault on bauls as a threat on the country's culture, they called upon the government and authorities concerned to take punitive action against the culprits.

Bauls, who practise their religion in peaceful ways, are not involved in any politics and they have never done anything against humanity or country's interest, the speakers said.

"It is very shameful that some people assaulted the bauls in Rajbari," said Kazi Mamun Haider Rana, a teacher of mass communication and journalism department of RU.

Prof Selim Reza Newton of mass communication and journalism department, Prof Abul Hasan and Susmita Chakrabarti of folklore department, Dr Shahriar Hossain, Kazi Susmin Afsana, Ataur Rahman and Abdul Halim Pramanik of theatre and music department of RU addressed the programme, among others.

Earlier, around 500 people including teachers, students and socio-cultural activists of the university brought out a procession on the campus to press for the demand.

They also formed a human chain in front of Ismail Hossain Siraji building at around 12:30pm.

On April 5, Sadhu Sanga, an organisation of bauls, arranged a two-day annual cultural programme at Char Ramnagar village in Pangsa upazila where followers of baul mystic Lalon Shah came from different places including Kushtia, Rajbari and Pabna.

But a group of villagers foiled the programme, assaulted 28 bauls and cut their hair and moustaches following instruction from the imam of a local mosque. The imam aided by a local influential person termed the bauls' programme as 'anti-Islamic' and had the devotees to do touba (repentance) under duress.

Mohammad Fakir, 60, a Lalon devotee of the village, yesterday filed a case with Pangsha police station accusing 50 people including 13 named ones in this connection.