The body of Nurul Haque, aka "Nural Pagla" - who had declared himself Imam Mahdi, an end-times figure in Shia Islam - was taken and burnt by a "Tawhidi Janata" mob in Goalanda, Rajbari. The mob also attacked his tomb and house, setting fires and injuring more than 50 devotees.
The incident occurred on Friday after Jummah prayers in Mollapara, Ward No. 5, said Goalanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nahidur Rahman. The UNO's car and two police vehicles were also vandalised.
Nurul's grave, slightly raised and adorned with a Kaaba likeness, had sparked discontent among the mob. After congregating at Shaheed Mohiuddin Ansar Club, the "Tawhidi Janata" broke into Nurul's house and tomb, vandalising them and setting fires. Police, initially unable to control the crowd, were later assisted by army and RAB personnel.
The Fire Service treated the injured at Goalanda Upazila Health Complex. The mob then dug up Nural's body from his grave, took it to Padma intersection on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway, and set it on fire.
Md Al Amin, a member of the mob, said: "At one time, Nural Pagla claimed he was the Imam Mahdi. He had also claimed to be a god. His actions were against the Shariah. Pious Muslims cannot accept this. That is why the Janata vandalised Nural Pagal's tomb. That is why we vandalised and burnt his house. We have also dug out his body from his grave and burnt it."
Meanwhile, in Rajshahi's Paba Upazila, the shrine Khanka Sharif of Aziz Bhandari was attacked and vandalised in the presence of police. Paba Police chief Monirul Islam said a group of 300-400 people carried out the attack after prayers on Friday.
Pir Azizul Islam, the shrine's spiritual leader, said: "Despite prior warnings from the intelligence agencies, police did not take any action to prevent the attack." He noted the three-day prayer gathering, organised annually for Eid-e-Miladunnabi, had just begun.
Monirul Islam said: "300 to 400 people attacked the shrine together. And there were only five of us. What were we supposed to do? You know the situation in the country." He added that legal action would follow if a formal complaint is filed.
