Letter praying for Sheikh Hasina's recovery found in Shahjalal shrine donation box
A letter praying for the recovery of former prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina — whose party's activities are banned — has been found in the donation box of the Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) shrine in Sylhet. The letter also prays that Sheikh Hasina will return as a light of hope for the people of Bangladesh.
The letter was found on Saturday morning (24 October) during the counting of money from the shrine's donation box and deg. It came to everyone's attention among the other donations and letters while the counting was under way.
The letter names Habibur Rahman Raju, a Chhatra League leader from Subarnachar upazila of Noakhali, as its writer. Alongside the writer's name at the end of the letter, Noakhali district is also mentioned.
The letter is dated 28 September 2026. On that day, marking Sheikh Hasina's 80th birthday, prayers were offered for her recovery, the letter states. It says special prayers and munajat were held for Sheikh Hasina on behalf of the Subarnachar upazila Chhatra League.
The letter reads: 'On the occasion of the 80th birthday of Bangabandhu's daughter Deshratna Sheikh Hasina, I am praying for the leader at the Hazrat Shahjalal shrine. May Almighty Allah always keep her healthy and may she return as a light of hope for the people of Bangladesh. Amen.'
At the end of the letter are the slogans 'Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu' and 'Joy hok Deshratna Sheikh Hasinar'. Throughout the letter, the expectation of the leader's recovery and return emerges as its central message.
The letter also mentions that a special prayer programme was arranged on 28 September by the Subarnachar upazila Chhatra League on the occasion of Sheikh Hasina's birthday. However, the letter gives no details about where that programme was held.
Various kinds of letters and prayer messages have been found during donation-box counting at the shrine before. This letter, found in the latest counting, has also become a subject of discussion in that continuation, because it openly seeks prayers for a former prime minister.
No specific information was available about when the letter was placed in the donation box — only the date written on the letter, 28 September, is known. As it was found during the counting, the matter became known on Saturday morning itself.
The letter was discovered amid the entire process of counting the money from the donation box and deg. As the counting of money and other donations is finalised, this letter remains one of the most talked-about items found in this round of counting.
