No country for bauls
Bauls in the western part of the country continue to live in constant threat of attacks and humiliation as the attackers enjoy complete impunity.
To protect themselves, the victims had to settle with their attackers on multiple occasions. Even in their stronghold in Kushtia, they no longer feel safe.
In the last seven years, fanatics mounted at least five attacks on the bauls' dens (akhra). Not a single attacker has been brought to book as of now.
On November 5 last year, attackers led by an imam of a local mosque swooped on a Baul akhra in Kushtia's Laubaria. Fazal Fakir, a baul who's in his 80s, was injured in the attack. The following day, a case was filed with Daulatpur police station, accusing 19. Of them, 18 were granted bail after they surrendered to the court.
Out of the five, Chuadanga saw four attacks on bauls, which involved hair cutting, setting akhras on fire, and even murder.
The latest incident took place on February 7, when miscreants attacked and set fire to a baul akhra in Belgachi Shewratala in Chuadanga's Sadar upazila.
Abdur Razzak Fakir, leader of the akhra, filed a case against unknown people with Sadar Police Station on February 9. Police have not arrested anyone so far.
Zakaria Hossain, a baul organiser of Akundabaria village of Sadar upazila, told The Daily Star that a baul was hacked to death on his way to take part in an event around 11:30pm on December 10, 2015.
A case filed on December 13 that year by his brother Mohammad Kibria saw no progress since then.
Police said the case did not advance much as three of the accused died in a "gunfight" with police, two of heart attack, while the other is bed-ridden with sickness.
At midnight on July 16, 2016, miscreants attacked a baul akhra at Ektarpur of Jibannagar upazila of the district. Baul Shahidul Islam filed a case with Jibannagar Police Station against unknown attackers.
Three Jamaat activists -- Ariful Islam, 22, Shahed Ali, 30, and Jamaat Ali, 42, -- were arrested over the attack. Later, the complainant withdrew the case following pressure from local influential people.
On July 29 of the same year, miscreants attacked baul Zulmat Shah at midnight at his home in Chuadanga's Damurhuda upazila. The attackers set two houses on fire, injuring 10 people.
Zulmat filed a case with Damurhuda Model Police Station on July 30. On August 1, police arrested two people -- Alauddin, 25, and Nasir Uddin alias Kalu, 27.
However, the case had to be settled due to pressure from some quarters.
Muslim Uddin Shah, general secretary of Chuadanga District Baul Kalyan Sanstha, said these attacks and intimidations have now become a common phenomenon.
"Religious fundamentalists are sometimes behind these attacks. Other times, they instigate mobs to attack us," he said.
Muslim Uddin said the perpetrators were backed by local influentials and politicians, who compel them to settle the cases.
"The vested groups behind these attacks are the evil forces who aim to remove the non-communal spirit from society," said Mohammad Ali Sain, a khadem at Kushtia's Lalon akhra.
Superintendent of Chuadanga District Police refused to comment on the matter.
"As long as I'm in Kushtia, I commit myself to protect our bauls," said Kushtia Superintendent of Police Khairul Alam.
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