Two separate incidents of violence unfolded in Bangladesh on Friday, one involving the desecration and burning of a revered Sufi saint’s body, and another group set on fire the central office of Jatiya Party, an ally of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League.
Mob burns Sufi Mystic's Corpse in Rajbari
In the Rajbari district of western Bangladesh, a group of radical Islamists identifying themselves as the "monotheistic mass" stormed the shrine of Nura Pagla, a Sufi mystic who passed away nearly two weeks ago. After Friday prayers, the group dug up his grave, desecrated the site, and burnt his corpse in public, accusing the Sufi practices of being “un-Islamic.”
The desecration triggered violent clashes between followers of Nura Pagla and the extremist group. The confrontation escalated quickly, leaving one person dead and over 100 injured. Several police vehicles and the car of the local administrative head were also set on fire. At least 22 people were treated at the local health complex, while four critically injured victims were shifted to Faridpur for advanced care. In response, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s office condemned the act as “inhuman and despicable” and promised that those responsible would face the full force of the law.
Jatiya Party office torched
In a second violent episode later that day, the central office of the Jatiya Party (JP) in Purana Paltan, Dhaka, was set on fire. The attack took place just a week after Nurul Haque Nur, leader of the Gono Odhikar Parishad, was seriously injured during a clash where army personnel were deployed to assist the police.
The Gono Odhikar Parishad, a group linked to last year’s "July Uprising" that led to the downfall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, has been at the center of renewed unrest. Although Dhaka Police blamed the arson on the group, its general secretary Rashed Khan denied involvement, instead accusing the Jatiya Party of being “complicit in genocide” during the previous regime.
Khan claimed the incident could have been avoided if the government had banned the Jatiya Party and taken legal action against its chairman GM Quader. During the unrest, police used water cannons and sound grenades to disperse protesters. Deputy Police Commissioner Masud Alam confirmed the use of force. Meanwhile, the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and their allies were seen rallying in the area shortly before the attack, according to reports from UNB news agency.
Notably, the interim government and Yunus’s office have not issued any official comment on the attack on the Jatiya Party office, and unlike previous incidents, military forces were not deployed at the scene.
