The railway authorities have demolished a makeshift Durga temple in the presence of army personnel and police members in Dhakaโs Khilkhet following mounting pressure from radical Islamists, who identify themselves as Touhidi Janata.
During the eviction around 2pm on Thursday, a team from Bangladesh Railway used an excavator to free its land.
While the Sanatan community members tried to resist the demolition, police and army members removed them from the area, and the excavator demolished the walls and the tin-shed temple.
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Due to the mindless action, the idols of Durga, Kartik, Ganesh, Saraswati and Lakshmi were damaged and left under the open sky.
Local Hindus say they do not have any temples in the area, where around 10,000 people from the community have been living for years. The makeshift temple on the railway land was their only religious option.
Citizens vehemently protested the careless actions and alleged that such steps by the authorities would deteriorate communal harmony. While they also removed some temporary shops, the authorities did not demolish the illegal mosques and madrasas on railway land.
They also criticised the interim government for not taking action against the perpetrators who have been attacking Hindu houses, business establishments, and temples since the August 5 changeover.
Khilkhet police Officer-in-Charge Md Kamal Hossain justified the demolition, saying that the temple management committee tried to build concrete walls on Monday, which led to violent protests by Islamists of the area.
On Monday night, some 50-60 people, wearing Muslim tupis, went to the temple with a procession and demanded that the temple be demolished by 12 noon the next day. They also made abusive comments about the Hindus and their Gods.
The situation calmed down after 10pm when members of the police, RAB, BGB and army intervened. Later, police and sat separately with the Hindus and the Touhidi Janata.
India condemns
The Indian government also denounced the destruction of the Durga temple and said the development reflected the inability of the interim government in Dhaka to protect the countryโs Hindu minority and their religious institutions.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: โWe understand that extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka. The interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as illegal land useโฆ and allowed the destruction of the temple today [Thursday].โ
He added: โThis has resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted. We are dismayed that such incidents continue to recur in Bangladesh.โ
Jaiswal emphasised the Bangladeshi interim governmentโs responsibility to protect Hindus, their properties and religious institutions.
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