Cultural figures urge state to protect bauls, fakirs from persecution | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Friday
July 11, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2025
Cultural figures urge state to protect bauls, fakirs from persecution

Splash

TBS Report
01 July, 2024, 03:50 pm
Last modified: 01 July, 2024, 09:26 pm

Related News

  • Effective copyright law needed to protect artists' creativity: Experts
  • Wind of change: Artistes call for reforms in entertainment arena
  • Voices on the walls: Artists aspire for a better Bangladesh
  • 'GET UP STAND UP': Bands, musicians to gather at Rabindra Sarobar in solidarity with students
  • Visual artists hold rally in support of quota reform movement

Cultural figures urge state to protect bauls, fakirs from persecution

“Persecuting and dishonoring them not only affects their personal lives but also harms our national pride and culture,” the letter reads.

TBS Report
01 July, 2024, 03:50 pm
Last modified: 01 July, 2024, 09:26 pm
China Begum standing near her vandalised house, where bamboo poles and parts of the tin roof are scattered in the yard. Photo: TBS
China Begum standing near her vandalised house, where bamboo poles and parts of the tin roof are scattered in the yard. Photo: TBS

A total of 53 cultural personalities have urged the state to ensure protection for bauls and fakirs in the country.

In a statement issued today (1 July), they said, "Over time, we have seen many forms of aggression against Bauls, Fakirs, and Sadhus, such as shaving their heads, destroying their homes and musical instruments, evicting them, and socially disgracing them."

The statement came in response to the media reports over vanadalism of 90-year-old Lalon devotee China Begum's house in Kushtia's Takimara village.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

"On 26 June, some vandals destroyed the house of China Begum, a follower of Lalon Fakir. They even threatened to kill her if she was found there at night," reads the statement.

The signatories include musicians Maqsoodul Haque, Kumar Bishwajit, Prince Mahmud, Bappa Mazumder, Ahmed Hasan Sunny, Rezaul Karim Leemon, writers Altaf Shahnewaz, Manosh Chowdhury, lyricist Shahid Mahmud Jangi, filmmaker Shabnam Ferdousi, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, and actors Manoj Pramanik and Dilruba Doyel.

National rights body shocked at Kushtia Lalon devotee's house vandalism

They said such actions are completely unacceptable in an independent Bangladesh and urged special attention to this. "We are aware that the local administration has taken the incident involving Lalon follower China Begum seriously, but we expect state measures to ensure that such incidents never occur again."

The statement, sent by musician Sina Hasan, also chalked out four demands.

These include measures to ensure the safety of bauls, fakirs, and Lalon devotees, and raising public awareness about their activities, legal action in case of any attacks or persecution against them, and ensuring unhindered freedom for cultural activities

 

The statement signed off by saying that persecuting bauls, fakirs and poets doesn't only affect their personal lives but also "harms our national pride and culture".

The signatories of the letter are:

• Ahmed Hasan Sunny (Musician)

• Altaf Shahnewaz (Writer)

• Amirul Rajiv (Art Curator)

• Arifur Rahman (Filmmaker)

• Armeen Musa (Musician)

• Arzeen (Musician)

• Asif Iqbal Aontu (Musician, Kaaktaal)

• Autumnal Moon (Musician)

• Bappa Mazumder (Musician)

• Eon (Poet)

• Faria Ulfath Syed (Musician, Tulkalam)

• George Lincoln D'Costa (Musician, Artcell)

• Gowtam K Shuvo (Music Researcher)

• Jewel Kolindo (Poet)

• Joy Shahriar (Musician)

• Kanak Aditya (Artist)

• Kishore Das (Musician)

• KP Razib (Musician)

• Krishnendu Chattopadhyay (Filmmaker)

• Kumar Bishwajit (Musician)

• Maqsoodul Haque (Musician, Maqsood O Dhaka)

• Manoj Pramanik (Actor and Teacher)

• Manosh Chowdhury (Teacher and Writer)

• Meer Masum (Musician, Souls)

• Milu Aman (Music Researcher)

• Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Filmmaker)

• Prince Mahmud (Musician)

• Probar Ripon (Musician, Shonar Bangla Circus)

• Rahul Ananda (Artist, Joler Gaan)

• Rajib Mahmud Shanto (Musician)

• Raju (Musician)

• Rakibul Hasan (Musician, Organizer)

• Rashed Zaman (Cinematographer)

• Rezaul Karim Leemon (Musician)

• Robiul Alam Robi (Filmmaker)

• Sadia Khalid Reeti (Film Critic)

• Sadia Seraj Saba (Musician)

• Sameer Ahmed (Filmmaker)

• Shahid Mahmud Jangi (Lyricist)

• Shahriar Shawon (Artist)

• Shafiq Tuhin (Musician)

• Shabnam Ferdousi (Filmmaker)

• Shangkha Dasgupta (Filmmaker)

• Sharmee Hossain (Musician)

• Sharmin Lucky (Artist)

• Sheikh Monirul Alam Tipu (Musician, Warfaze)

• Shibu Kumar Shil (Musician, Meghdol)

• Sina Hasan (Musician, Bangla Five)

• Soikat Biswas Tutul (Organizer)

• Unmesh Roy (Teacher)

• Xaved Hoque (Music Patron, Heavy Metal T-shirt)

• Yamin Rahman Iskra (Musician, Swarobanjo)

• Ziaur Rahman (Musician, Shironamhin)

• Shimul Salahuddin (Poet)

• Dilruba Doyel (Artist) 

Bangladesh

Artists / bauls / fakirs

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Kunming rising: China's emerging healthcare hub draws Bangladeshi patients
    Kunming rising: China's emerging healthcare hub draws Bangladeshi patients
  • Representational image. Photo: Collected
    2nd round of US-Bangladesh tariff talks set to conclude today as business leaders await breakthrough
  • Abul Barkat at Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court on 11 July 2025. Photo: TBS
    Economist Abul Barkat sent to jail in Tk297cr embezzlement case

MOST VIEWED

  • Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS
    SSC, equivalent results: Pass rate drops to 68.45%, GPA-5 also declines
  • In terms of stream of education, girls maintained their excellence as well. Photo: TBS
    SSC 2025: Girls dominate boys by over 5%
  • Govt vehicle purchase, foreign trip, new building construction banned: Finance ministry
    Govt vehicle purchase, foreign trip, new building construction banned: Finance ministry
  • Students sit for SSC exam at Motijheel Girls' High School on 10 April 2025. Photo: Mehedi Hasan/TBS
    SSC exam results out: Here's how you can check online and via SMS
  • The overall pass rate across all boards this year, 68.45%, is significantly lower than last year's. Photo: Focus Bangla
    SSC 2025: Rajshahi board records highest pass rate, Barishal lowest
  • Representational image. Photo: Collected
    35% tariff: Bangladesh, US 'agree on most issues' as first day of talks ends

Related News

  • Effective copyright law needed to protect artists' creativity: Experts
  • Wind of change: Artistes call for reforms in entertainment arena
  • Voices on the walls: Artists aspire for a better Bangladesh
  • 'GET UP STAND UP': Bands, musicians to gather at Rabindra Sarobar in solidarity with students
  • Visual artists hold rally in support of quota reform movement

Features

Kunming rising: China's emerging healthcare hub draws Bangladeshi patients

Kunming rising: China's emerging healthcare hub draws Bangladeshi patients

2h | Panorama
Photo: Collected/BBC

What Hitler’s tariff policy misfire can teach the modern world

1d | The Big Picture
Illustration: TBS

Behind closed doors: Why women in Bangladesh stay in abusive marriages

1d | Panorama
Purbachl’s 144-acre Sal forest is an essential part of the area’s biodiversity. Within it, 128 species of plants and 74 species of animals — many of them endangered — have been identified. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain/TBS

A forest saved: Inside the restoration of Purbachal's last Sal grove

1d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Renowned economist Abul Barkat imprisoned

Renowned economist Abul Barkat imprisoned

1h | TBS Today
All of Iran's uranium still intact, Israel claims

All of Iran's uranium still intact, Israel claims

44m | TBS World
Trump-Netanyahu in new strategy on Gaza issue

Trump-Netanyahu in new strategy on Gaza issue

2h | TBS World
Shocking science: why birds stay safe on electricity lines

Shocking science: why birds stay safe on electricity lines

3h | TBS Stories
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net