On June 26, Bangladesh Railway demolished illegal structures built on railway land in the Khilkhet area of Dhaka. During this operation, a puja mandap (Hindu worship structure) was also demolished. This sparked widespread discussion and criticism on social media. Following this, a claim has recently been circulated on social media stating that the demolished structure in Khilkhet was a 300-year-old temple.
See such posts circulated on X (formerly Twitter) here: Here (Archive), Here (Archive), and Here (Archive).
See similar posts on Facebook, Here (Archive), Here (Archive)
Fact-Check
Rumor Scanner’s investigation found that the puja mandap demolished during the eviction drive in Khilkhet was not 300 years old. In reality, temporary pandals have been set up in different parts of the area over the past few years under the Khilkhet Sanatan Samaj Kalyan Sangha to celebrate Durga Puja. Durga Puja was held only three times at the location of the demolished mandap, starting from last year.
A post published on September 24, 2016 from a Facebook account named Raj Deep was found via keyword search regarding this claim.
The post claims that due to opposition from local Muslims, the Khilkhet Sarbojanin Shri Shri Durga Mandir Committee was unable to set up a mandap in Dhaka’s Khilkhet. It also claimed that Durga Puja had been held at the location with permission from the Railway Authority for around 12 years.
Upon examining the photos in that post, one banner reads: “Designated Area (Temporary) for Khilkhet Sarbojanin Shri Shri Durga Mandir.” This indicates that there was no permanent puja mandap there at the time.
Further keyword searches led to a photo posted on October 3, 2016 by a Facebook page named Khilkhet Sanatan Samaj Kalyan Sangha.
The caption states that this was the Durga Puja mandap organized by Khilkhet Sanatan Samaj Kalyan Sangha that year. The image shows a bamboo framework under construction, indicating that the puja was held in a temporary structure.
Later, a Saraswati Puja card published on January 26 this year was found on the same Facebook page.
Rumor Scanner contacted Arjun Roy, General Secretary of the Khilkhet Sanatan Samaj Kalyan Sangha Puja Committee, using the mobile number provided in the card. He stated that the claim about the demolished structure being a 300-year-old temple is false. Since 2004, Durga Puja has been held in various locations in the area. However, the specific site of the demolished mandap has hosted Durga Puja only three times in total, including last year.
According to reports published in the media, during last year’s Durga Puja, a temporary mandap was built in the area. A committee called Khilkhet Sarbojanin Durga Puja Mandir Committee was formed around it. That was the first time Durga Puja was organized there, according to this BBC report.
Although the structure had tin fencing until then (Image), on June 23, the temple authority began constructing a permanent wall. Locals reportedly opposed the move. However, no news outlet or reliable source has confirmed that the puja mandap was 300 years old.
Based on the available information, it is confirmed that the recently demolished temporary puja mandap in Khilkhet is not 300 years old.
Conclusion
The claim that the demolished temporary puja mandap in Khilkhet was 300 years old is false.
Sources
