BUET graduate’s Facebook post sparks unrest in Nasirnagar, family flees home

A Facebook post by Syed Emad Uddin Shubha, a BUET graduate and PhD student at Louisiana State University, has led to tensions and violence in Gokarna village of Brahmanbaria's Nasirnagar upazila, forcing his family to leave their ancestral home.

The post, made on June 11, drew strong reactions from some religious groups.

On the following day, a group of people attacked and damaged the tin-roofed Syed Zahur Memorial Library, located next to Shubha's family residence. They reportedly tried to set it on fire, but were stopped by neighbours. Shubha's parents had already left the village fearing unrest.

Police have since been deployed in the area, and officials say additional forces, including army patrols, are in place to restore calm.

This afternoon, protesters under the banner "Gokarna Sarbostorer Tawhidi Jonota" took to the streets demanding the arrest and punishment of Shubha and his father, Syed Salahuddin Mukul, a retired banker.

"Because of a Facebook post made from thousands of miles away in the US, our entire family — still residing in a remote village — is now under extreme threat," Mukul told The Daily Star.

He added that Shubha has been publicly branded as a "Shatim" (a slanderer or blasphemer), and calls for his killing have flooded social media platforms, some even placing bounties on his head.

Despite Shubha issuing an apology and clarification, the backlash intensified.

Family members, including Shubha's mother—a primary school headteacher—have reportedly received rape and death threats online.

The family claims the incident was not spontaneous. Mukul alleged that individuals with longstanding personal disputes used the situation to incite violence.

Law enforcers have ramped up patrols in Gokarna. Assistant Superintendent of Police (Sarail Circle) Tapan Sarker said extra police were deployed and local officers joined Jummah prayers to build trust.

Nasirnagar Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Khairul Alam confirmed that law enforcers had been patrolling the area continuously.

"Even this afternoon, army personnel patrolled the village as a precaution," he added.