Mob lynches ‘Pir’ in Kushtia, burns down his hospice

A mob in Kushtia’s Daulatpur lynched a reported Pir, accusing him of making derogatory remarks about religion on Saturday, while his hospice was vandalised and set on fire.

The incident took place around 2:30pm in Philipnagar village under Philipnagar union. The deceased was identified as Shamim Reza, also known as Jahangir, son of the late Jechher Ali of the village.

According to local sources, Shamim Reza had studied in Dhaka and was previously involved in the teaching profession. 

He later returned to his locality and built a hospice where he had been living.

According to local sources, two of his followers were also seriously injured during the attack and are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Witnesses said Shamim Reza identified himself as a follower of “Kalandar Baba Jahangir Sureshwari” and had been promoting controversial religious views for several years.

Tensions escalated recently after a video circulated on social media in which he allegedly made offensive remarks about the Holy Quran. The video triggered widespread outrage among local residents.

Around 1:00pm on Saturday, a group of locals surrounded the shrine. The situation quickly turned violent as the crowd attacked the premises, vandalised several rooms and set parts of the structure on fire. Shamim Reza and two of his followers were beaten during the attack.

Police and fire service personnel later rescued the injured individuals around 3:00pm and took them to Daulatpur Upazila Health Complex. Shamim Reza was pronounced dead at around 3:20pm while undergoing treatment. The other two remain hospitalised.

Family members said Shamim had previously worked as a teacher after completing his master’s degree in Dhaka, before returning to the village and establishing the shrine.

Police sources said a case had been filed against him in May 2021 at Daulatpur Police Station on charges including hurting religious sentiments. He was arrested at the time and later released after serving a prison term, after which he allegedly resumed similar activities.

By late afternoon, law enforcement agencies, including police and fire service units, were deployed in the area to bring the situation under control.

Officer-in-Charge of Daulatpur Police Station Arifur Rahman said the situation is now under control, with additional police deployed to prevent further unrest.

The body has been sent to Kushtia General Hospital for an autopsy. A tense calm is prevailing in the area.

In a similar incident on September 5, 2025, a mob had exhumed the body of Nurul Haque aka “Nural Pagla” – a man who had declared himself Imam Mahdi, and set it ablaze in the Mollapara area of Rajbari’s Goalanda.

The mob also attacked his tomb and house, vandalised them, and set fires. More than 50 devotees at the location have been injured.