THE arrest of a baul for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of a certain quarter is yet another sign of the growing intolerance. Renowned baul Maharaj Abul Sarkar was sent to jail in Manikganj on November 20 after the imam of Ghior Bandar Mosque had filed a case with police accusing him of making religiously misleading remarks in performing a song on November 4. There is no scope to see the arrest of the baul in isolation. In February, a man in Shariatpur was arrested for a Facebook posting that featured lyrics of a Lalon song. There has been a series of organised attacks on bauls and shrines. The police say that at least 40 shrines were targeted in 44 attacks between August and December 2024. The government has announced a zero-tolerance policy towards attacks on shrines and pledged to protect religious plurality, but its action has fallen short. In cases where right-wing forces harass bauls or devotees at shrines by exploiting the legal provision on 鈥榟urting religious sentiments,鈥� the government has so far given in to their pressure instead of protecting the victims, as evidenced in the latest arrest.
The legal harassment of bauls is, however, not unique to the post-July uprising period. During the fallen Awami League regime, baul Rita Dewan and Shariat Bayati were subjected to similar legal harassment under the now-repealed Digital Security Act. In March 2023, at least nine artistes were assaulted when a mob attacked a cultural programme featuring baul songs in Sirajganj. In November 2022, a group of villagers allegedly attacked a baul gathering in Kushtia, leaving eight Lalon devotees injured. Even ordinary baul enthusiasts have not been spared. Two teachers of the University of Rajshahi were allegedly murdered by right-wing forces in 2014 and 2016. It should be emphasised that any attacks on baul events and baul dens constitutes an assault on the cultural diversity that Bangladesh proudly presents to the world. Such actions are violations of people鈥檚 freedom of religion and expression, which is guaranteed by the constitution. Baul music, rooted in Islamic traditions, promotes pluralism and is a cultural heritage that the government should protect. In doing so, the government should reconsider the legal definition of 鈥榟urting religious sentiment鈥� as an offence as the subjective nature of the offence has been abused to stifle dissent or religious pluralism in the recent past.
The government should, under the circumstances, take decisive steps to translate its policy of zero tolerance towards any attacks on sites of religious import and legal harassment of bauls. It should take stern action against the attackers and revisit the legal provisions that created the scope for such harassment.
