Annual urs at High Court shrine held on limited scale

The annual two-day urs at the shrine of Hazrat Shah Khaza Sharfuddin Chishti located at the High Court premises in Dhaka was held on a limited scale this year as the traditional large gathering was postponed.

According to devotees, a committee comprising High Court judges oversees the urs, which usually draws followers from across the country, each year. Traditionally, the urs is observed with rituals, including full recitation of the Quran, zikr, dua, sermons, musical sessions, and food distribution among devotees. Musical events are usually held at the High Court field adjacent to the shrine.

Talking to this correspondent, urs organisers said that due to the upcoming national election and ongoing cases at the International Crimes Tribunal, the committee did not permit the programme to be held on a large scale.

This year, however, only the mandatory rituals were carried out in a limited capacity.

Law enforcers barricaded the High Court gate yesterday, preventing followers from entering the shrine, which led to an altercation in front of the gate.

Requesting anonymity, an organiser who is also a lawyer at the High Court said, “Every year we feed people on a large scale and organise musical sessions along with other rituals. But this year, police evicted the devotees in the evening after the rituals began following Friday’s Juma prayer.”

On the second day, food was cooked on a limited scale and distributed among vagabonds and poor followers outside the High Court premises.

Ramna Zone Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam told The Daily Star that the decision to restrict entry was taken by the organising committee. “We just did our job. When the followers were denied entry, they set fire in front of the High Court gate and staged a protest,” he said.