Making amends

Chattogram City Corporation started reconstruction work of a roadside temple on Tuesday, a day after it was demolished “mistakenly” during an eviction drive.

On Monday afternoon, a CCC mobile court conducted the drive in South Kattoli area near Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium to free the footpath from illegal occupation, said CCC officials.

During the drive, the driver of the bulldozer dismantled the “Magadeshwari Matri Mandir” by mistake, they added.

Leaders of Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad, however, claimed that it was demolished “intentionally”. Protesting the incident, members of the Hindu community demonstrated in the area.

On Monday evening, Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin visited the spot and assured that CCC would rebuild the temple. The CCC engineering department started the reconstruction works on Tuesday morning, said Chief Engineer Lt Col Mohiuddin Ahmed.

Leaders of Oikya Parishad, however, demanded that the two magistrates, who led the drive, be relieved of duty.

“The 70-year-old temple, which is around 10 yards off the footpath, was demolished intentionally,” alleged Advocate Nitai Prasad Ghosh, general secretary of the Parishad's Chattogram city unit.

“The mayor said the driver [of the bulldozer] accidentally knocked down boundary wall and the temple. How could a driver demolish a temple without the magistrates' order?” he said. “We demand the mayor remove the responsible magistrates.”

Asked, Jahanara Ferdous, one of the magistrates, said they “did not see any notion of a temple in the area”.

“We went there for an eviction drive after receiving a letter from the local councillor,” she said.

“We instructed the driver to evict the establishments on the footpath and drain.”

“During the time, we were around 20 yards away from the spot. We did not see what he was demolishing. He must have done it accidentally,” she said. “It was not intentional.”

Contacted, Morshed Akhter Chowdhury, councillor of ward 11, said he wrote a letter to CCC to free the footpath up to the stadium.

“In the letter, I did not mention anything about the temple.”

“It is far away from the entrance to the stadium... moreover, I was not informed about the drive on that day,” he said.

“After hearing about the incident, I rushed to the spot and asked the magistrates why the temple was demolished... they said the driver made a mistake.”

“It's an old temple... since my childhood, I have seen people offering worship there,” he added.

Contacted, Mayor Nasir said they would investigate into the matter.

“If the driver dismantled the temple intentionally, action would be taken against him.”

“We would also check whether the temple was built on government property,” he added.