The Bangladesh government has issued a detailed clarification regarding the demolition of a Durga temple in Dhaka's Khilkhet area, asserting that the structure was built without official permission on land owned by Bangladesh Railways. According to the Foreign Ministry, the local Hindu community had set up a makeshift Puja Mandap on railway land during Durga Puja in 2024, initially without prior approval.

The railway authorities subsequently granted temporary permission on the condition that the structure would be removed after the celebrations. However, the organisers did not dismantle the Mandap as agreed and instead began to make the installation permanent, even establishing a Maha Kali idol at the site, which the authorities argue was a violation of the mutual agreement.

Despite repeated reminders and consultations with community representatives, the organisers did not remove the unauthorised structure. In December 2024, Bangladesh Railway authorities issued a public notification for the removal of all illegal installations—including shops, vendors, and political offices—on both sides of the railway tracks in the area, as the land was needed for a major railway expansion project.

The government maintains that 200 feet from the rail track is exclusively railway property and that construction of additional tracks necessitated the clearance of the site.

On June 24 and 25, 2025, final notices were issued, and on June 26, the railway authorities proceeded with the eviction of all unauthorised structures, including the temple. The government claims the eviction was peaceful, and the idol from the Mandap was immersed in the nearby Balu River with the participation of local Hindu community members, conducted in a manner they describe as respectful.

The Bangladesh government has reiterated its commitment to protecting the rights of all communities and safeguarding places of worship, but emphasised that building religious structures on public land without permission is not permissible. The government described the removal of unauthorised structures as a routine administrative action to recover government land and stressed that legal places of worship are fully protected under the law.

However, the demolition has sparked significant outrage among minority organisations and the Hindu community in Bangladesh, who have condemned the move and alleged that authorities failed to provide adequate prior notice. Protests have been organised, with groups expressing concern over what they perceive as a pattern of targeting minority religious sites.

India has strongly criticised the demolition, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stating that the interim Bangladeshi government failed to protect the temple and instead presented the issue as a matter of illegal land use.

India has called it the responsibility of the Bangladesh government to protect Hindus, their properties, and religious institutions, expressing dismay at the recurrence of such incidents and noting that the deity was damaged before it could be relocated.

The Bangladesh government frames the demolition as a lawful administrative action necessary for public infrastructure and consistent with legal requirements, minority groups and the Indian government have condemned the move, alleging inadequate protection and notification for the affected community and highlighting broader concerns about the safety and rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Based On ANI Report