On Saturday (21st June), a Muslim man named Abdul Ali attempted to encroach upon the 1400-year-old Shiv Chandi Mandir, which is situated on Lalmai Hills in the Comilla district of Bangladesh.
According to a report by Bangla Tribune, Ali built a makeshift tin house on the land of the Hindu temple and declared it as his ‘ancestral property.’
When a female devotee of the Shiv Chandi Mandir objected to the illegal encroachment, she was attacked by Ali and his men. The victim was identified as Chandana Rahut.
Following a complaint by the temple authorities, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rubaiya Khanam and police Officer-in-Charge Rafiqul Islam visited the crime scene and directed Abdul Ali to remove his illegal encroachment.
Khanam further told the Shiv Chandi Mandir committee to remove a rest house, which was built by it on its own land. She alleged that the land is disputed and the matter is in court.”
In the meantime, Abdul Ali claimed, “My father purchased this land. But in the records, it is recorded in the name of the temple. I have filed a case to correct the record.”
Dipak Saha, the President of the Shiv Chandi Mandir Committee, rubbished his claims and stated, “600 acres of land on the west side of the entrance gate is recorded in the name of the temple. Recently, we built a rest house on the land for the devotees. But on Saturday, he (Abdul Ali) encroached upon our land and built a house here.”
