On the night of June 23, a Muslim mob reportedly surrounded the Sri Sri Durga Mandir in Dhaka’s Khilkhet area, threatening Hindu devotees to vacate the Mandir premises or face demolition.
News coming in from #Dhaka of #Bangladesh.
Right now, thousands of Islamists have gathered in front of a Durga Temple in the #Khilkhet area.
Islamists are demanding to remove the Durga Temple from the area because seeing Durga Murti is haram for them.
The administration… pic.twitter.com/FAh1FSonZG
— Hindu Voice (@HinduVoice_in) June 23, 2025
According to reports, the group issued an ultimatum demanding the removal of the Mandir by 12 pm on June 24. They warned of forcibly demolishing the Mandir if their demand was not met. The incident was confirmed by a devotee, Suman Sudha, who witnessed the threat.
Faced with growing threats, local Hindu leaders turned to the Khilkhet police for help. Inspector Mohammed Ashiqur Rehman acknowledged the incident, saying, “We are aware of the situation. Our senior officials are working to resolve it by Tuesday.” He admitted that “some Muslims went there and created a tense situation,” but later attempted to downplay the seriousness of the ultimatum, describing it as the outcome of a “heated argument.” “We are looking into the matter carefully to ensure no unpleasant situation arises,” Rehman added.
Recent cases of Mandir encroachment
On June 21, a Muslim man named Abdul Ali attempted to encroach upon the ancient 1,400-year-old Shiv Chandi Mandir, located on Lalmai Hills in Bangladesh’s Comilla district.
News coming in from #Coomilla district of #Bangladesh.
In broad daylight, Islamists are grabbing the land of Sri Sri Chandi Mata temple in #Lalmai area of #Coomilla district.
Islamists are building shops on the lands of the temple. The administration and the Police are not… pic.twitter.com/M7FXCOQNMC
— Hindu Voice (@HinduVoice_in) June 21, 2025
Abdul Ali reportedly built a makeshift tin structure on the premises of the 1,400-year-old Shiv Chandi Mandir and claimed it as his ‘ancestral property.’ When a female devotee, identified as Chandana Rahut, objected to the encroachment, she was allegedly assaulted by Ali and his associates. Ali later claimed, “My father bought this land. However, the official records list it under the temple’s name. I’ve filed a case to have the records corrected.”
Dipak Saha, President of the Shiv Chandi Mandir Committee, dismissed Abdul Ali’s claims, stating, “Around 600 acres of land on the west side of the temple’s entrance gate are officially registered in the temple’s name. We recently constructed a rest house there for devotees. However, on Saturday, Abdul Ali encroached on the land and built a structure.”
Earlier, on June 17, members of the Hindu community held a protest in Khagra Madhya Durgapur, Naogaon district, condemning the attempted encroachment of temple land and a targeted attack on the temple committee president.
According to a Hindu protester, a local extremist named Maqsad, along with his radical supporters, entered the area where the Sanyas Mandir and Radha Govindo Mandir are located.
Maqsad and his followers claimed ownership of the land on which the Sanyas Mandir and Radha Govindo Mandir stand, along with the surrounding areas. They confronted local Hindu residents, threatening violence against anyone who dared to offer prayers at the temples.
A confrontation ensued, but the Hindu community stood united, eventually forcing the extremists to retreat. A day earlier, on June 16, Maqsad’s supporters attacked Atul Chandra Sarkar, the president of the temple committee, leaving him seriously injured.
