A group of citizens has condemned the arrest of Baul singer Abul Sarkar in Manikganj and the attacks on his followers and admirers during a human chain program.
In a statement issued on Monday, they said media reports showed that a group assaulted participants at the peaceful gathering, leaving several people injured, while local police failed to protect them.
The signatories said that since the interim government took office, a group operating under the name “Touhidi Janata” has increasingly taken the law into its own hands by bringing allegations of “hurting religious sentiments”.
The Manikganj attack, they said, was not only an assault on Bauls but an attack on public safety in general.
They noted that photos, names and political affiliations of several attackers had already been published in the media, leaving no scope to describe them as an anonymous mob.
Allowing them to go unpunished would reflect a failure on the part of the government, they added.
The statement said the interim government, led by Dr Muhammad Yunus, had pledged to protect freedom of expression, but attacks on Bauls, provocative processions, public calls to harm them, and the continued detention of Abul Sarkar showed that those promises were not being upheld.
The citizens placed five demands:
- Ensuring the safety of Baul artistes and their programs in Manikganj and across the country.
- An impartial investigation into the Manikganj attacks, with those responsible brought to justice, and the then superintendent of police removed from the post.
- Visible and fair action by law enforcement to prevent incitement and attacks carried out in the name of “religious sentiment”.
- Proper investigation of the case filed against Abul Sarkar and his release without delay, along with an end to the misuse of such cases.
- A clear declaration from the interim government that it will protect the rights of all citizens — including artistes, writers, academics and journalists — to speak, sing and assemble peacefully, backed by concrete action.
