Occupied land of Dhakeshwari Mandir to be recovered

Sajeda tells Puja Udjapan Parishad conference

21 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Bss, Dhaka

Deputy Leader of the House and Awami League Presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury yesterday assured members of the Hindu community of returning the 'vested properties' to the owners and taking steps for recovering illegally occupied land of the Dhakeshwari Jatiya Mandir. “The act with regards to returning the vested property to the heirs is now being repealed by the land ministry to cope with your demands and it will be placed in the Jatiya Sangsad soon, she told the Hindu leaders. She was addressing the inaugural session of the biennial conference of Bangladesh Central Puja Udjapan Parishad at the Dhakeshwari Mandir in the city. She offered all support from her good office to identify the grabbed land of the Dhakeshwari Mandir, one of the sacred places of the Hindu community as well as an important heritage of Dhaka city, originally built on 20 bighas of land, but now remains only seven bighas. Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad, State Minister for Religious Affairs M Shajahan Mia attended the function as the special guests while local lawmaker Dr Mostafa Jalal Mahiuddin, Chief Adviser of the Parishad Major Gen (Retd) CR Dutta, Bangladesh Ambassador to Nepal Nim Chandra Bhoumik, also spoke at the function. President of the Parishad Swapan Kumar Saha presided over the meeting while general secretary Advocate Satyendra Chandra Bhakta placed biennial report. Sajeda said, “For a citizen of Bangladesh, she/he is patriotic who believes in three- Bangabandhu, Bangladesh and Bengali Nation. Those, who have no faith in the three principles -- allowed the Razakars to adorn with the national flag. She hoped that Bangladesh in near future would again see the renaissance of the ideology of Bangabandhu, which will bring forward the nation to the progress and prosperity. She said the perpetrators of post-election violence on minority community would not be spared. Pointing out the current socio-political situation, she said people are living in peace. “But, some 'fake' Chhatra League activists appeared in the scene to create trouble and frustrate people's hopes and aspiration”. Criticising the BNP for choosing hartal as a political weapon, Sajeda said hartal would not help reducing the price of commodities. Rather it would increase the price and multiply the public sufferings, she said observing that the hartal is a part of conspiracy to undo trial of war criminals. Azad praised the role of the minority community in Bangladesh in the War of Liberation. “You are still playing a praiseworthy role in nation building activities,” he said urging them to continue their efforts to build a secular Bangladesh as dreamt by Bangabandhu. He also urged the leaders of the minority community to make a committee who would better understand their problems and work constantly to realise their demands. Terming the statement made by the Leader of the Opposition in a recent meeting in Dhaka, he said, it is a travesty of truth to hide their torture on minorities after 2001 election. The government never spared anybody involved in intimidating the minority people, he said. Shajahan said the process for establishing the Hindu Foundation and Debottar Property Board are now under process. He blamed the inertia and lack of initiative of the Hindu leaders for delay in fulfilling the demands of the community and said his ministry is ready to extend all support to establish religious rights of every community in line with the secular political ideology of the present government.