Rajbari Correspondent:

The agitated mob clashed with Nural Pagla’s followers as both sides hurled bricks and stones at each other, leaving scores injured.

At least one person was killed and more than a hundred others reportedly injured Friday (5 September) when clashes broke out in Rajbari’s Goalanda upazila, centring on the burial of “self-proclaimed Imam Mahdi” claimant, Nural Pagla.

The deceased, Md Rasel Molla (28), son of Azad Member of Pochajut Mistipara under Debgram union in Goalanda, died while undergoing treatment at Faridpur Medical College Hospital, confirmed Dr Md Sharif Islam, residential medical officer of Goalanda Upazila Health Complex.

The violence began around noon after agitated crowds attacked Nural Pagla’s dwelling place in the Ansar Club area of the upazila.

They vandalised the “shrine”, set it on fire, and torched several vehicles, including two police cars and the upazila nirbahi officer’s (UNO) vehicle.

The agitated mob clashed with Nural Pagla’s followers as both sides hurled bricks and stones at each other, leaving scores injured.

The wounded were rushed to Goaland Upazila Health Complex, where doctors referred them to Faridpur Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

Goalanda UNO Md Nahidul Rahman told that, “The agitated mob vandalised my vehicle as well as the additional superintendent of police’s car and the officer-in-charge’s vehicle.”

“Later, they attacked Nural Pagla’s shrine, exhumed his body, and burned it.”

He added that the situation was brought under control.

Eyewitnesses said around 4pm, a mob stormed Nural Pagla’s residence, vandalising and looting houses. They then exhumed his body from a “specially constructed grave” and paraded it through the Dhaka-Khulna highway.

Then they poured petrol on the body and set it ablaze on the road.

By around 5:30pm, members of the army, magistrates, police, and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) were deployed at the scene to restore order.

‘Inhuman and despicable’: Govt condemns desecration of Nural Pagla’s grave in Rajbari

Earlier in the morning, Nural Pagla’s family held a press conference at Goalanda Press Club, defending their decision to bury him “in an unusual manner.”

Following his death on 23 August, his family interred him in a 12-foot-high two-storey-like structure in front of his house.

Photo: Collected

The tomb was painted to resemble the Kaaba and decorated with a banner reading “Hazrat Imam Mahdi (A) Darbar Sharif.”

On 26 August, the Goaland Imam Parishad and Touhidi Janata announced protest programmes, placing three demands: removal of the Kaaba-style decorations, removal of the banner, and lowering of the grave to a normal height.

Nural Pagla’s followers and family agreed to the first two demands but sought time until 28 August—later extended to 4 September—for discussions on reducing the grave’s height.

In response, under the banner of “Iman Aqida Rokkha Committee”, religious groups in five upazilas of Rajbari called for protest demonstrations yesterday (4 September).