Following multiple attacks on Friday at the shrine of Nurul Haque (also known as Nural Pagla) in Rajbari, a tense situation currently prevails around the area. Additional police have been deployed to prevent any new unpleasant incidents.
Upon visiting the site on Saturday morning, it was seen that debris was scattered inside the shrine. Smoke was occasionally seen rising from the debris. Curious crowds have rushed to the scene upon hearing news of the attack. They are gathering to catch a glimpse of the wreckage.
Meanwhile, a case has been filed at Goalandaghat Police Station regarding the attack on police and vandalism of vehicles centred around the attack on Nural Pagla’s shrine. Sub-Inspector (SI) Selim Mollah, as the plaintiff, filed the case at 12:05am on Saturday, naming three to three and a half thousand unknown individuals as accused. Police have not been able to arrest anyone in connection with the incident so far.
Staying in the shrine area from 7:30am to 9am on Saturday, it was observed that additional police were present in front of Nural Pagla’s shrine, located in Juran Mollah Para of Ward No. 5 of Goalandaghat Municipality. Inside the shrine, there is one three-story and another two-story building. Nural Pagla used to live in the three-story building with his family members. Every room of both buildings has been reduced to rubble. All furniture has been lost. The remaining items were vandalised and set on fire.
Nural Pagla’s sanctuary is located about 100 yards away from the building. He used to spend time with his devotees in that tin-shed room. Before his death, a platform was built several feet above the flat ground, including the tin-shed room. He would spend time sitting in the tin-shed room on one side of the platform, and after his death, Nural Pagla was buried on the other side.
However, after Friday’s attack, the entire interior of the shrine is now in ruins. Smoke is still seen rising from the debris. Some people are scavenging items like rice and lentils from the scattered wreckage. Police members are occasionally dispersing the curious crowds and also forcing them out of the shrine.
Abul Hossain, who came from Poradaha in Kushtia, said, “The attack on Nural Pagla’s shrine was the talked-about news in the country on Friday. After seeing the news on various media and Facebook, I couldn’t stay put. I came to a relative’s house in Goalandaghat at night to see with my own eyes what happened. I came to the shrine this morning to see.”
He said, “His actions were controversial, but that doesn’t justify exhuming the body from the grave and burning it.”
Ratna Biswas, who came from Pangsaha in Rajbari, said, “About fifteen years ago, when my husband developed heart problems, I came to him (Nural Pagla) on the advice of some people. After visiting a few times without much result, I later took him to India for treatment. Even then, since he was a very significant person, we used to pay our respects to him. I came to see after hearing about the attack on the shrine.”
It is known that as part of the pre-announced program of the Goalandaghat Upazila Iman-Aqida Protection Committee, hundreds of people came to join the protest rally organised at the Goalandaghat Bazar Ansar Club field after Jummah prayers on Friday. Around 2:30pm, a group of people arrived with hammers, shovels, and sticks. At that time, the organisers asked for sticks and hammers to be deposited on the stage.
They were warned against participating in the protest with such equipment. When law enforcement members noticed and tried to deter them, tension arose. At one point, while speeches were ongoing on the stage, some unruly people attacked the police. They vandalised two police vehicles and the UNO’s car. During this, 10 to 12 police members were injured.
Several eyewitnesses said that around 3pm, under the banner of the Tawhidi Janata, the convener of the Iman-Aqida Protection Committee, Maulana Jalal Uddin Pramanik, member secretary BNP leader Ayub Ali Khan, and others urged everyone to stay at the rally. Despite repeatedly announcing via microphone that they would not take responsibility for anything outside the rally, some agitated people marched and attacked Nural Pagla’s shrine.
At that time, the caretakers and devotees of the shrine tried to resist from inside. In the clash, involving brickbats and stone-throwing, at least fifty people from both sides were injured. Amidst this, hundreds of people scaled the shrine’s walls, entered, set fires, and began looting various items and goods.
Eventually, around 5pm, Nural Pagla’s body was exhumed from the grave along with the coffin, placed in the middle of the road at the Goalandaghat Padma intersection area on the Dhaka-Khulna highway, and burned.
A devotee named Russel Mollah, injured in the clash, died while undergoing treatment at Faridpur Medical College Hospital. He was the son of Azad Mollah from Tenapacha village, Debgram, Goalandaghat Upazila.
Locals informed that Nural Pagla died of old age on August 23. That night, his devotees buried his body in a special manner, several feet above the ground at his sanctuary. Afterwards, local clerics and the Tawhidi Janata expressed anger over the matter, demanding, among other things, that the grave be leveled.
Regarding this, several meetings were held between the district administration, including the Rajbari Deputy Commissioner and Police Superintendent, and members of the district and upazila Iman-Aqida Protection Committee and Nural Pagla’s family. However, due to the grave not being lowered, the Iman-Aqida Protection Committee held two press conferences warning of movement.
They finally demanded that the grave be leveled, among other things, by last Thursday. They announced a protest rally after Jummah prayers on Friday at the Goalandaghat Ansar Club field and subsequently a “March for Goalandaghat” programme if their demands were not met.
Regarding the allegations, Nural Pagla’s son Mehedi Noor Zilani told a media outlet on September 2 that his father was buried according to Islamic rites, slightly elevated as per his instructions. It might be three to four feet high. False propaganda is being spread against them. However, discussions are ongoing with devotees and caretakers about lowering the grave.
Acting Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Goalandaghat Thana, Rakibul Islam, said that at least 10 to 12 members were injured in the attack on police. Regarding the attack and vehicle vandalism, Sub-Inspector (SI) Selim Mollah filed a case as the plaintiff at 12:05am on Saturday, naming three to three and a half thousand unknown accused. No one has been arrested or detained in connection with the incident so far. No complaint has been filed by his family regarding the attack on Nural Pagla’s shrine yet.