Letter found at Hazrat Shahjalal Shrine praying for Sheikh Hasina's return

During the fifth public counting of donations at the Hazrat Shahjalal (R) Shrine in Sylhet, a letter was discovered in one of the offering vessels. The letter, dated September 28, 2026, was written on the occasion of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 80th birthday.

The message, attributed to Md. Mamun Hossain Manna on behalf of the Lalbagh Thana 24 Ward Awami League, prays for the former leader's health and asks that she returns to become the ‘hope of the people of Bangladesh’.

The counting process follows a recent decision by a committee led by Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir to increase transparency in the shrine's financial management. Under this new system, 35 percent of donations are allocated to shrine development, while 65 percent covers daily operational costs and staff salaries.