Sylhet DC Sarwar Transferred a Day After Issuing Directive to Ban Drugs at Shah Poran Mazar

In a sudden administrative move, Sylhet District Commissioner (DC) Md. Sarwar Alam has been transferred and attached as a Deputy Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration. The transfer order, issued via a gazette notification today, Sunday (June 21), comes exactly a day after the official issued strict directives to bring financial accountability and eliminate drug use at the shrine of Hazrat Shah Poran (Rh.).

The development follows an ongoing administrative crackdown on the region's spiritual shrines. On Thursday (June 18), the district administration locked and sealed three traditional charity cauldrons (Degs) at the shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal (Rh.) and replaced them with official donation boxes to streamline revenue collections—a move that triggered large-scale protests from local devotees.

Calls for Transparency and Drug Eradication

Prior to his transfer, DC Sarwar Alam visited the Hazrat Shah Poran shrine on Friday (June 19) ahead of the weekly Juma prayers. Addressing the congregation inside the mazar mosque, the official outlined a comprehensive master plan aimed at transforming the shrines into secured, transparent, and spiritually conducive environments.

"The saints laid to rest in this soil are highly revered, and we must ensure their resting places are developed systematically. We need master plans that incorporate medical centers, dedicated prayer spaces for women, and robust security infrastructure. Furthermore, these holy sites cannot become venues for illegal narcotics. We are taking a zero-tolerance stance against the consumption of alcohol and cannabis inside shrine compounds. Anyone caught committing crimes here will face doubled penalties."

— Md. Sarwar Alam, Former DC, Sylhet

The official emphasized that the state would not claim a single penny of the shrine’s revenues. However, he maintained that to retain public trust, management committees must abandon hand-to-hand cash collections in favor of secure collection boxes to establish complete institutional accountability.

Devotee Backlash and Security Deployment

The administration's aggressive policy shift had already stirred significant local tension. The deployment of official donation boxes and the sealing of the charity cauldrons at the Shah Jalal shrine on Thursday afternoon—executed under the direct supervision of Additional District Commissioner Masud Rana—provoked intense anger among mazar loyalists.

By Thursday night, thousands of devotees and spiritual followers gathered at the Shah Jalal shrine compound to stage mass demonstrations, condemning the administration's direct intervention into decades-old traditions. In response, authorities deployed armed Ansar members to guard the newly installed state donation boxes and maintain law and order across the premises. Following the DC's sudden transfer, the local administration has yet to clarify if the planned structural reforms will proceed as scheduled.