A joint task force operation in northern Bangladesh has led to the recovery of a rare touchstone Shiva Lingam weighing 245 kilograms, which had been hidden beneath the floor of a residential home. Law enforcement officers arrested 34-year-old Mostafa Ali during the drive, conducted at approximately 1:30 pm on Wednesday in the Chak-Rajballav area of Naogaon Sadar upazila. The suspect, identified as the son of Gohir Uddin Pramanik, is currently in police custody.
Details of the recovery were formally released in an official media bulletin issued by the Naogaon Battalion (16 BGB) at 7:00 pm on Wednesday. Acting on precise intelligence regarding an illicit scheme to conceal and potentially smuggle a high-value archaeological relic, BGB officials coordinated with district authorities to mobilise a specialised raid. The joint task force was led by Assistant Director and Acting Adjutant Md Delowar Hossain of 16 BGB, alongside Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Farjana Sultana and officers from the local police department, operating under direct orders from the 16 BGB Commanding Officer.
Upon arriving at Mostafa Ali’s residence, task force personnel carried out a thorough search of the premises. Suspicion turned to the floor of one of the rooms, where physical signs indicated recent earthwork. Digging beneath the surface revealed the massive black touchstone sculpture, carefully concealed in the dirt to evade detection by authorities. Touchstone, historically prized across the region for crafting sacred sculptures and temple iconography, commands immense value on the black market for illicit antiquities.
Following the search, officers seized the 245-kg artifact and detained Ali on-site. Both the suspect and the recovered Shiva Lingam were transferred to Naogaon Sadar Police Station, where formal legal proceedings under antiquities protection and anti-smuggling statutes have been initiated. The sculpture is expected to be examined by representatives from the Department of Archaeology to assess its precise historical era, artistic provenance, and cultural significance.
The northern district of Naogaon, rich in ancient heritage and situated near the international frontier, has frequently seen attempts by organized smuggling rings to plunder local archaeological wealth. Addressing the operation, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Ariful Islam Masum, Commanding Officer of Naogaon Battalion (16 BGB), stated that security forces remain on high alert across their administrative jurisdictions in Naogaon and Chapainawabganj. He emphasized that comprehensive drives against illegal smuggling, antiquities trafficking, and the narcotics trade will persist to safeguard national assets and border security.
