Shrine vandalised in Rajshahi, body burnt, tomb attacked in Rajbari

FE Team | Published: September 06, 2025 00:30:24

In separate incidents on Friday, a shrine in Rajshahi was attacked and the body of Nurul Haque, also known as "Nural Pagla" - a man who had declared himself Imam Mahdi, was taken and burnt by a mob from "Tawhidi Janata" in Rajbari, reports bdnews24.com.
In Rajbari, the mob attacked the tomb and house of Nurul Pagla located in Goalanda under the district, vandalized them, and set fires. More than 50 devotees at the location were injured.
The incident took place on Friday after Jummah prayers in the Mollapara area of Goalanda Municipality's Ward No. 5, as reported by Goalanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nahidur Rahman.
The UNO's car, along with two police vehicles, were also vandalised.
The body of Nurul was buried in a slightly raised grave and a likeness of the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, was put up there, sparking discontent among the local religious people. The local administration attempted to find a solution between the two sides.
After the Jummah prayers on Friday, in accordance with a previously announced programme, the mob gathered at the Shaheed Mohiuddin Ansar Club to protest. They then broke through the gate leading Nurul's house and tomb and entered. They then vandalised the tomb and set fires.
Police had been deployed in the area, but weren't able to bring the situation under control due to the masses of people. Army and RAB personnel arrived later and managed to restore order.
The mob retreated to a distance and continued their protest as Fire Service and Civil Defence attempted to put out the fire.
Meanwhile, a shrine in Rajshahi's Paba Upazila named Aziz Bhandari's Khanka Sharif has been attacked and vandalised. Devotees present at the shrine claimed the incident occurred in the presence of police.
Paba Police chief Monirul Islam said a group of people attacked the location after prayers on Friday.
Pir (spiritual leader) Azizul Islam said, "Despite prior warnings from the intelligence agencies, police did not take any action to prevent the attack."