A Sufi Darbar was a paradise for thousands of birds. Then came the mob...
The green-and-white columns still stand in neat rows, but several have lost their concrete tops. Behind them, a weathered multistory building has empty window openings and blackened walls. Nearby, cattle graze among tree stumps scattered across a wide, grassy field.
There are signs of damage everywhere. Sections of a boundary wall have collapsed. Broken bricks lie beneath the windows of a peach-colored building, their edges stripped of plaster.
At the entrance, a bright green gateway remains standing, though portions of its pillars have been chipped away, exposing the brickwork underneath.
This is what remains of Murshidpur Darbar Sharif, a religious establishment in Sherpur that once sheltered thousands of birds among some 5,000 trees.
The compound had served an unusual purpose alongside its religious activities for three decades. Its caretakers planted trees, preserved fruit for birds and hung earthen pots from branches to provide safe nesting places.
Mynas, parrots, sparrows and doves gathered in the orchard. Some lived there throughout the year. Others returned seasonally to breed and raise their young.
Today, much of the orchard has disappeared.
If someone visits the area, s/he would find a vast clearing dotted with cut tree trunks, with only a few mature trees still standing. A small wooden birdhouse attached to a branch amid dense foliage, a reminder of the effort once devoted to attracting birds.
The transformation followed a series of attacks, vandalism, arson and looting in November 2024, when a dispute over the activities of the Darbar Sharif escalated into violence.
The attacks damaged the religious establishment and devastated the green sanctuary that had developed around it.
Local residents say cattle and goats now roam the grounds during the day, while drug users gather there after sunset. The place once known for its birdsong has become largely deserted.
The loss extends beyond the religious compound. Birds that once nested there also fed on insects in surrounding farmland, making the orchard part of the area's wider agricultural ecosystem.
Five thousand trees and a home for birds
Murshidpur Darbar Sharif stands in Lachhmanpur Union, about six kilometers from Sherpur district headquarters.
It was established in 1993 by Alhaj Khwaja Mohammad Badruddoza Haider, a religious figure popularly known as Doza Pir.
The establishment eventually occupied approximately 200 acres. Part of the grounds was developed into an extensive orchard containing nearly 5,000 trees from around 50 species.
Mango, jackfruit, black plum, lychee, guava, lemon, papaya, banana, starfruit, wax apple, sapodilla, almond and date palms grew alongside numerous forest trees.
The orchard changed with the seasons. Flowers and fruit attracted insects, which in turn drew birds. The dense canopy offered shade and protection, while the branches provided places to rest and breed.
But the Darbar's caretakers did not rely on the trees alone.
Under the pir's direction, they began hanging earthen pots and pitchers from branches to provide additional nesting sites.
The containers were adapted for birds. Small holes were drilled into their bottoms to allow rainwater to drain, preventing nests from becoming waterlogged.
Over time, the arrangement attracted a wide variety of species.
Mynas, parrots, sparrows, baya weavers, pigeons, doves, oriental magpie-robins, bulbuls, drongos, woodpeckers and other birds became regular visitors, according to people associated with the establishment.
Some remained throughout the year. Others arrived during breeding seasons, laid eggs and raised their chicks before leaving. Many returned the following year.
Food was another important consideration.
While some fruit was harvested for the Darbar's needs, designated trees were left untouched so that birds could feed directly from them.
The practice created a relatively undisturbed habitat where birds could find food and shelter without depending entirely on human feeding.
The institution also received numerous visitors each year. Some leftover food from their meals was used for animals and birds, though natural food sources remained central to the sanctuary.
The Darbar's caretaker Mahmudan Masud told Daily Waadaa that he had loved the birds as though they were his own children.
He said preserving fruit on the trees was a deliberate decision to ensure that birds had enough to eat.
The effort extended beyond the compound.
Hashem Ali and Zainal Mia, two devotees of the Darbar, told Waadaa that thousands of birds once moved between the orchard and nearby agricultural fields.
There, they fed on insects, including pests that damaged crops. The two men believe the birds helped reduce the need for pesticides on some farms.
Their assessment has not been independently quantified. But insect-eating birds can help control agricultural pests, and their disappearance from an area may affect the balance between insect populations and crops.
The orchard, therefore, served a purpose beyond providing an attractive landscape. It was a nesting ground, a feeding area and a source of wildlife that moved regularly through the surrounding countryside.
Caretaker Masud told Waadaa said the institution had “received a national tree-planting award in Sherpur district in 1998”, five years after its establishment.
The award, he said, recognized its “efforts to plant and preserve trees.” By the time the political crisis of 2024 reached Murshidpur, the orchard had been developing for more than three decades.
On a recent visit to the compound, Waadaa witnessed the scale of devastation.
Across one large clearing, dozens of stumps protrude from the grass. Some have been cut close to the ground; others stand higher, with rough, exposed surfaces. A few surviving trees cast narrow patches of shade over the open land.
In the distance stands a pale multistory building, surrounded by the remains of what was once a much denser green landscape.
Political upheaval and religious tensions
The dispute over Murshidpur Darbar Sharif intensified after August 5, 2024, when a revolution brought an end to Sheikh Hasina's government.
According to people associated with the Darbar, demands for the establishment's closure became more frequent following the political change.
Several teachers from a local Qawmi madrasa and a section of residents had objected to the religious activities conducted there.
Human chains and protest rallies were organized under the banners of the madrasa and local residents, demanding that the Darbar be shut down.
The disagreement escalated on the morning of November 26.
Caretaker Masud told Waadaa that “several hundred people” attacked the compound, broke through corrugated metal fencing and entered the premises.
“They began vandalizing buildings and looting property,” he said. Masud, other caretakers and devotees attempted to resist, leading to clashes between the two groups.
At least 20 to 25 people were injured, according to local police.
Members of the army, police and Rapid Action Battalion arrived after receiving reports of the violence and eventually brought the situation under control.
The injured were taken to Sherpur District Hospital.
Among them was Hafez Uddin, a carpenter from Kandasherirchar village in Lachhmanpur Union who belonged to the group opposing the Darbar. His condition deteriorated, and he was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
He died there on the morning of November 27.
News of his death further heightened tensions in the area. The following morning, thousands of people gathered at Kusumhati Jamshed Ali Memorial College for his funeral prayers, according to local sources.
The violence surrounding the Darbar continued, with attacks, arson and looting causing extensive damage to the compound. The surviving buildings bear visible evidence of destruction.
One structure has rows of empty window openings, with sections of the surrounding masonry damaged. Another has broken lower walls and piles of rubble along its exterior.
At the entrance, the brightly painted gateway still marks the approach to the establishment. Beyond it, damaged buildings and rows of freestanding columns overlook open grassland where cattle now feed.
Several of the columns have lost their upper sections, leaving exposed concrete and reinforcement bars. On the surrounding grounds, large sections have been cleared, with tree stumps extending across the field.
Devotees Hashem Ali told Waadaa that the consequences of this devastation may persist long after the physical structures are repaired.
“There were so many trees, and thousands of birds nested in them,” Hashem said, adding that the trees and birds were integral to the local ecosystem. “How can a new building ever replace what we have lost?”
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