Centuries-old shrine in Mymensingh vandalised, desecrated

A centuries-old shrine in Gouripur Upazila of Mymensingh has been vandalised, with attackers also throwing human waste inside the premises, police say.

The incident took place on Thursday night at the shrine of Shahjahan Uddin (R), Gouripur Police chief Kamrul Hasan said.

Locals said several devotees visited the shrine early on Friday morning and found the boundary of the main structure broken and scattered on the ground.

They also saw human excrement and cow dung scattered at several spots inside the shrine.

Local resident Faruk Ahmed said the exact age of the shrine is difficult to determine, but devotees visit it regularly to perform religious practices in their own way.

“Vandalising a shrine can never be justified,” he said.

Shrine caretaker Saidur Rahman said he has been serving there for nearly 40 years and has never witnessed such an incident before.

“From what we have heard from our forefathers, the shrine was established during the Mughal era. Thousands of devotees visit it every year. This attack on the shrine is deeply distressing,” he says.

Officer Kamrul said no religious gathering has been held at the shrine for the past eight to 10 years and that no formal complaint has been filed with police so far.