Goalanda Dargaon in Bangladesh attacked by fundamentalist mobs, body of ‘Nural Pagla’ exhumed and burned

POBNEWS24, Dhaka Sept 5, 2025 : The fundamentalist organization Iman-Aqida Raksha Committee has attacked, vandalized and set fire to the hideout of Nurul Haque alias Nural Pagla in Goalanda, Rajbari district, a hundred kilometers from Dhaka. Fifty people were injured in the attack by a group of people from a pre-announced protest rally after Friday prayers. Police, RAB and the army are working at the scene to control the situation.
According to local sources, Nural Pagla was a man of spiritual consciousness. Nurul Haque alias Nural Pagla had established a Darbar Sharif in his house in Ward No. 5 of Goalanda Municipality. He died of old age on August 23. That night, his body was buried in a special way in the shelter, a few feet above the ground. Then, the local clerics expressed their anger over the matter and made several demands, including leveling the grave.
The Upazila Iman-Aqida Raksha Committee held a press conference on the incident last Tuesday and alleged immoral activities at Nurul Haque’s shelter. They made various demands, including leveling the grave by Thursday. Otherwise, they announced a protest rally at the Goaland Ansar Club ground after Friday prayers and a ‘March for Goaland’ program later.
According to eyewitnesses and local sources, the Upazila Iman-Aqida Raksha Committee organized a protest rally at the Ansar Club premises after Friday prayers today as per the previously announced program. A group of people appeared in the program with axes, large hammers and sticks. At that time, the clerics and law enforcement officers present tried to stop them, but the people headed towards Nurul Haque’s house with a procession. Two police vehicles and the car of the Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) were vandalized.
Some eyewitnesses said that the procession first tried to enter Nurul Haque’s residence. When the court people tried to resist by throwing bricks, brickbats were also thrown from the other side. At one stage, several hundred people climbed the wall and entered and attacked the court. At that time, some of the devotees were severely beaten and Nurul Haque’s house was vandalized. Later, Nurul Haque’s body was taken out of the grave and burned at the Padma intersection area near the Goalanda bus stand on the Dhaka-Khulna highway. At least fifty people from both sides were injured in the attack. Later, the police, RAB and the army brought the situation under control. Kaushik Kumar Das, medical officer of the Goalanda Upazila Health Complex, said that everyone had injuries from brickbats, sticks and sharp weapons on their bodies.
Rajbari Police Superintendent Kamrul Islam said that the situation is currently under control. The casualty figures are not known exactly. The court is under the control of law enforcement agencies.
It is worth noting that after August 5, fundamentalists attacked and set fire to the hideouts of madmen in different parts of the country. Lalon Shah’s Akhra in Bangladesh and Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari’s hideout in Chittagong were also attacked. Left organizations in Bangladesh have commented that the Goalanda incident has also been carried out in the same sequence.
Meanwhile, the press wing of the chief advisor issued an official statement condemning the Rajbari incident on Friday.
The statement said that the interim government strongly condemned the incident of desecrating the grave of Nurul Haque Molla, also known as Nural Pagla, and setting fire to his body in Goalanda. The government said that this inhuman and despicable act is a direct attack on our values, our laws and the fundamental foundations of a just and civilized society.
It said, such barbarity will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The interim government is committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting the sanctity of every human life, both during life and after death.
The statement said, “We assure the people that those involved in this heinous crime will be identified and brought to justice through the fullest application of the law. No individual or group is above accountability. Swift and strict legal action is being taken to ensure that those involved in this heinous act are duly punished.”
It further said, “We call on every citizen of the country to firmly reject hatred and violence, unite against violence, and make concerted efforts to uphold the ideals of justice and humanity.”