Miscreants attack Shah Poran shrine in Sylhet, 7 injured

A group of miscreants attacked and vandalised the shrine of Hazrat Shah Poran last night during the urus of the saint.
The attack started at around 3:00am and continued till the Fajr prayer, injuring at least seven people.
Witnesses said that many devotees were consuming cannabis as per the seven-hundred-year-old tradition of the shrine, which a group of madrasa students and locals obstructed.
Later, hundreds of madrasa students and locals from nearby areas attacked the shrine and beat the devotees, they added.
Several structures of the shrine were also vandalised, they said.
Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Shahporan Police Station, said, “After the clash, police controlled the situation. No one filed any complaint with the station yet.”
Earlier on Friday, hundreds of people from nearby madrasas and areas gathered in front of the shrine and demanded the banning of the music and use of cannabis, which is a part of the tradition.
As per the demand of the agitated mob, the shrine authority banned all such activities.
Later on Sunday, the three-day urus of the saint started and was scheduled to conclude this morning after the Fazr prayer.
Syed Kabul Ahmed, Khadem (caretaker) of Hazrat Shah Poran’s shrine, did not respond to any phone calls.
It is said that Hazrat Shah Poran was a noted Sufi saint who accompanied Hazrat Shahjalal to establish Islam in Sylhet.