The sacred shrine of Hazrat Bayazid Bastami is situated atop a hill in Nasirabad, Chittagong. The site features a rectangular Mughal-style mosque dating back to the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb, adjacent to a grand pond. According to local legends, Hazrat Bayazid Bastami traveled to Bengal during the golden era of Islam to spread the light of faith, bringing Islamic teachings from the Arab world to distant lands. The popular hagiographical tradition also recounts his profound filial piety, where as a young boy, he stood beside his sleeping mother all night holding a vessel of water after she asked for a drink, refusing to disturb her rest. Moved by his devotion, his mother prayed fervently for him, and Allah elevated his spiritual status, earning him renown across the world.
At the base of the hill lies a massive pond inhabited by unique black softshell turtles, locally known as “Mazari” or “Bostami Kachim,” along with large “Gojar” fish. Local tradition holds that these turtles were originally jinn. According to popular belief, when Hazrat Bayazid Bastami visited the region, evil jinn or wicked spirits attempted to oppose his mission. Through his divine spiritual power, the saint transformed these jinn into giant turtles and confined them to the shrine’s pond to spend their lives in devotion and service. Scientists and zoologists have noted that this specific species of turtle is exceptionally rare and critically endangered, being found nowhere else in the wild outside of this sacred pond in Chittagong, which reinforces the miraculous atmosphere and spiritual mystique surrounding the saint’s legacy.