Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatoni Jagoron Jote formed a human chain in front of the National Museum on Friday to protest the eviction of a makeshift temple, built on railway land without permission, in the Khilekhet neighbourhood of the city.
Speakers at the human chain voiced concern over the demolition of the temple and its mandap, claiming that the decision by the authorities was alarming and a violation of religious rights.
They issued a 72-hour deadline to reconstruct the temple or announce a ‘march to Khilkhet’ from Shahbagh program. Later, they brought out a process from there that ended at the Aparajeyo Bangladesh on the Dhaka University campus.
Meanwhile, the government dismissed the claim of demolishing Hindu mandap from a government land. Amid an alleged attempt to spread confusion over the matter, the interim government on Friday cleared its stance over the allegations of demolishing a Hindu mandap.
Quoting Railways Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir, Chief Adviser’s Press Wing issued a statement stating “Last year during the Durga Puja, some individuals erected a puja mandap on the railway land in Khilkhet without prior approval. Permission for the worship was granted on the condition that the mandap would be removed after the ceremony.”
“The organisers of the puja promised to remove the mandap after the puja was over. However, despite being told repeatedly after the puja, they have not removed the mandap. Instead, they have taken initiatives to establish a permanent temple there. Even though they have been asked repeatedly to refrain from such efforts, the puja organisers did not heed,” reads the statement.
Amid such situation, all legal processes were completed to free public property from illegal occupation and the temporary structure was removed from railway land in the Khilkhet area on Thursday.