Shahjalal shrine donations counted publicly in outgoing DC Sarwoer’s presence

For the first time in the shrine’s 700-year history, donations made at the Hazrat Shahjalal (R) Mazar in Sylhet were counted publicly today in the presence of a government official.

The donations totalled Tk 17,65,559 in cash and seven ana of gold, equivalent to about 0.44 bhori or 5.1 grams.

The counting took place on the shrine premises this afternoon in the presence of outgoing Deputy Commissioner Md Sarwoer Alam and other district administration officials.

Cash and gold were retrieved from two donation cauldrons (deg) at the shrine and a donation box installed on the initiative of the district administration.

The event was held a day after an announcement that DC Sarwoer has been withdrawn from his post.

Sarwoer has been attached him to the Ministry of Public Administration as a deputy secretary.

Last Wednesday, the district administration had sealed three traditional donation cauldrons and replaced them with new donation boxes under its own management. Ansar personnel were deployed for security during the installation, supervised by Additional DC Masud Rana.

Sarwoer was appointed as the Sylhet DC in August 2025. He previously gained national recognition while serving as an executive magistrate with Rab. He was posted to Sylhet after his predecessor was removed over the Sada Pathor stone-looting controversy.

The shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (R), a 14th-century Sufi saint credited with spreading Islam in the Sylhet region, has been a major pilgrimage site since his death around 1346.

The dargah complex, located on a low hillock in the Dargah Mahalla in Sylhet city, has drawn devotees from across Bangladesh and beyond throughout the years.