Desk Reports :
Railways gave land for mosque and temple for 1,001 taka
The Railways has handed over land to two mosques and a temple located in the capital’s Joar Sahara Mouza at a symbolic price. The land has been allotted for a total of Tk 3,003 at the rate of Tk 1,001 for each of the three religious places of worship. This is a first in the history of the Railways.
At a function organized at the Railway Bhaban on Wednesday, Dhaka Divisional Railway Manager Md. Mohiuddin Arif handed over the allotment papers to the concerned management committee. Railway Advisor Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, Religious Advisor Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain and Advisor to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Professor Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar were present.
Of the allotted institutions, Khilkhet Railway Jame Mosque got 0.2011 acres (8,760 sq ft); An-Noor-Jame Mosque got 0.0552 acres (2,405 sq ft) of land and Khilkhet Sarvajanin Sri Sri Durga Mandir got 0.0562 acres (2,450 sq ft) of land.
In all, about 31 percent of the total land has been handed over to the three places of worship.
Terming this initiative of the Railways as a unique example of communal harmony, Religious Advisor Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain said that Bangladesh is a role model of communal harmony and amity. He further said that those who want to desecrate religious institutions or places of worship have no religious identity, they are miscreants. He also assured cooperation in restoring the desecrated property of the Hindu community.
Railway Advisor Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan said, “Bangladesh is a country of religious harmony.” He warned that if anyone tries to destroy this harmony, he will not be given any concessions and strict legal action will be taken against him. The advisor to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education highly appreciated this initiative of the Railway.
Railways gave land for mosque and temple for 1,001 taka
Press Secretary to the Chief Advisor Mohammad Shafiqul Alam said at a press conference that there was no provision in the Railway Act to allocate land for religious institutions. However, this law has been changed slightly and land has been permanently allocated to Hindu and Muslim religions.
However, many believe that such a decision can create a new challenge in the future. Because, any religious institution can use this example to apply for land allocation beyond the market price. They believe that a well-thought-out policy needs to be adopted in this regard. However, Railway Advisor Fauzul Kabir Khan has made it clear that in the future, if railway land is to be obtained, it will have to be taken at the market price.
