One person was killed and many others injured when a mob attacked the grave site of Nurul Haque alias Nurul Pagla in Goalanda upazila of Rajbari on Friday.
The deceased is Rasel Mollah, 28, son of Azad Mollah of Debgram union. His death was confirmed to Stream by his cousin Adnan Nur Islam, who is also a leader of the Chhatra Dal's Rajbari unit.
Rasel was a devotee of Nurul Pagla, his cousin said.
Ensuing clashes leave 50 injured
Multiple news reports also quoted a doctor of Faridpur Medical College Hospital confirming Rasel Mollah's death.
Ashok Kumar Das, medical officer at Goalanda Upazila Health Complex, said that from around 3:30pm, the injured started arriving at the hospital.
They bore wounds from being struck by brick chunks and sticks, as well as cuts from sharp weapons.
When Rasel was brought in around 4:30pm, his condition was critical, so he was referred to Faridpur, he said.
Sohel Mollah, another relative of the deceased, said Rasel was a follower of Nurul Pagla and at the time of the incident, he was at Nurul Pagla's house.
He was beaten severely by the opposing group, resulting in serious injuries to his head and limbs. When taken to the Faridpur hospital, doctors declared him dead.
The body is currently preserved in the freezer of Faridpur Diabetic Hospital, Sohel Mollah said.
Nurul Haque had over the years styled himself as a saint and garnered a substantial following.
According to locals, a protest against Nurul, who died 13 days ago, had been organised by the Iman Aqeedah Raksha Committee at the Shaheed Fakir Mohiuddin Ansar Club premises in Goalanda Bazar after the Juma prayers.
According to protesters, Nurul Pagla and his devotees were "against Shariah".
During the protest, a group of agitated people appeared in the procession carrying axes, large hammers and sticks. They marched towards Nurul's burial site, where they were stopped by law enforcers, resulting in a clash.
Eyewitnesses said the mob – comprising several hundred – attacked police pickups and a vehicle belonging to the upazila nirbahi officer.
At one point they broke into the burial site, beat up the devotees there and then forcefully exhumed the body.
The procession also attacked his home, which is near the grave.
They then set his body on fire on the highway.
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