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Watch on shrines beefed up

SHARIFUL ISLAM
The government has stepped up intelligence surveillance and security at mazars (shrines) across the country.
Shrine-based bauls and bayatis (spiritual singers) alleged law enforcers are not allowing them to arrange any musical programmes at the mazars, which is the only means of their livelihood.
This has thrown over 20,000 bauls and bayatis with around one lakh family members into dire distress.
A top official of an intelligence agency said security net was spread to the shrines in the wake of the January 12 bomb explosion at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal in Sylhet that killed five people. He however sought ano-
nymity.
"After the bomb explosion at Hazrat Shahjalal's shrine, we gave general instruction to intelligence agencies to keep an eye on the mazars," Inspector General of Police Shahudul Haque told The Daily Star yesterday.
During a visit to different shrines in Dhaka yesterday, a number of bauls and bayatis told this correspondent they have become the worst victims of the security measure as police are not allowing them to gather on shrine premises and hold musical programmes.
"We organise sessions of spiritual songs on mazar premises but since the bomb explosion in Sylhet in
January, law enforcers are not allowing our members to arrange any such programmes," said Mohammad Shah Alam, general secretary of Bangladesh Baul Shilpi Samity.
He alleged whenever they sought permission to organise musical programmes at mazars and localities, police and local authorities turned down their request saying permission would be given only upon their assurance that no incident of bomb explosion would take place.
But the IGP said they have not slapped any embargo on spiritual singers in organising musical programmes or performing songs. "We will investigate and take measures if we get specific information from any one facing such problems," he added.
Leaders of bauls and bayatis said there are around 25,000 shrines across the country. But the spiritual singers are mainly based at big shrines including High Court Mazar Hazrat and Shah Ali's Mazar in Dhaka, Hazrat Shahjalal's shrine and Shah Paran's shrine in Sylhet, Shah Mokhdum's shrine in Rajshahi and Dudu Shah's shrine in Sirajganj.
They said that after 1990, influential locals formed mazar management committees on the plea of checking antisocial activities at the mazars.
"Earlier, the bauls and bayatis and poor people used to get share of the money and goods given to the mazars by worshippers, but now the committee members are taking those," a baul leader alleged.
He also alleged anti-social activities are still taking place at many of the shrines but law enforcers take no action due