Vandalism and arson at the shrine of Nura Pagla, who claimed to be Imam Mehdi

The shrine of controversial self-proclaimed 'Imam Mehdi' Md. Nurul Haque alias Nura Pagal in Goalanda Upazila of Rajbari was vandalized and set on fire by a local mob on Friday (September 5). The entire shrine was destroyed and a tense situation was created in the area.

Tensions have been building in the area recently over the shrine because after his death, Nurul Haque's devotees buried him in a special structure about 12 feet above the ground as per his instructions. The local Muslim community and the Towhidi mob have called for the grave to be leveled, calling such graves anti-Islamic and bid'ah. The local Imam Committee also agreed with this demand and called for action through the administration and warned of a strict movement if the demand was not met.

Today, Friday around 1 pm, an agitated mob gathered in the shrine area and first vandalized the grave and the surrounding structures. Later, they set the shrine on fire. The structure of the shrine was burnt down in the fire and the grave built by the devotees was completely destroyed.

It is known that Noora Pagal had been claiming to be 'Imam Mehdi' for a long time and while some followers believed his claim, local religious leaders and Islamic thinkers labeled him a hypocrite and misguided. He died while undergoing treatment in Dhaka on 23 August 2025.

After the incident, Goalanda Police Station quickly reached the spot and brought the situation under control. No one has been arrested so far but the administration said that the incident is being investigated and legal action will be taken.