Fact Check: Kantaji Temple land in Bangladesh targeted for mosque construction? No, claim is misleading
News of Muslims planning to build mosque on Kantaji Temple land in Bangladesh has gone viral
By Sibahathulla Sakib Published on 8 Jan 2025 1:42 PM IST
Claim: Muslims are planning to build a mosque on the land of the ancient Kantaji Temple in Dinajpur, Bangladesh.
Fact: The claim is misleading. While the construction of a mosque began in March 2024, the local administration halted all activities following complaints.
Hyderabad: Many reports of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh have emerged amid the ongoing internal political turmoil. Recently, four people were arrested in Sunamganj district for vandalising a Hindu temple and damaging houses and shops belonging to the Hindu community. Police have registered cases against several individuals, including 12 identified and over 150 unidentified individuals.
Amid these tensions, a viral claim has emerged on social media stating that Muslims were planning to construct a mosque on the land of the historic Kantaji Temple in Dinajpur, Bangladesh, a UNESCO Heritage site. The claim, accompanied by images of the temple and Muslim leaders at an under-construction site, went viral.
An X user shared the images with the caption, “Radical islamists are trying to build a mosque in the lands of 300 year old prominent Kantaji Temple in Dinajpur. Kantaji Temple is a UNESCO Heritage Site of Bangladesh. #SaveBangladeshiHindus #HindusUnderAttackInBangladesh #BangladeshHinduGenocide (sic)” (Archive)
Similar posts can be seen here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading. The construction of a mosque, which began earlier in 2024, was later stopped by the local administration.
A keyword search led us to a report by Bangla Press dated March 25, 2024, titled, ‘Announcement to stop construction of mosque on land of Kantaji Temple in Dinajpur’ (Translated from Bangla).
The report featured a photo of the historic Kantaji Temple. It stated that the district administration halted the construction of a mosque on the land belonging to the traditional Kantaji Temple in Kaharole, Dinajpur, Bangladesh.
According to the report, Dinajpur-1 MP Zakaria Jaka laid the mosque’s foundation stone on March 1. However, on March 13, Ranjit Kumar Singh, an agent of the Dinajpur Raj Debottar Estate, filed a written complaint with the district administrator requesting the construction be stopped. Following the complaint, the district administration suspended the work temporarily.
The report also stated that when asked if the work was stopped after the administration’s decision, Abdus Salam, the president of the mosque committee, responded, “The work had already been halted. The district administration initially allocated the land to us, but now they are denying it. The committee will convene to decide on the next steps.”
A March 25, 2024, article by The Daily Star titled, ‘No construction on Kantajew Temple land’ confirmed the same details.
The report confirmed that the Dinajpur district administration imposed a ban on all construction activities on the land of the Kantajew Temple (also called Kantaji temple) in Kaharol upazila, 23 days after work began on a multi-storey mosque.
Locals said a mosque was initially established on a portion of the land in 1950, following an increase in the Muslim population in the area. In 1976, the then deputy commissioner leased that portion to the Muslim community for building a temporary mosque. However, a 1999 High Court ruling declared that Debattor land is exclusively owned by the Deity. Addressing this, deputy commissioner Shakil mentioned that a team led by the UN is currently verifying the validity of the lease documents.
The Kantanagar Temple, an 18th-century brick structure, is located in the tranquil village of Kantanagar, approximately 12 miles north of Dinajpur town. Renowned for its extraordinary terracotta decorations, this Hindu temple stands as one of the most remarkable religious monuments of the 18th century in Bengal. Originally a ‘navaratna’ or nine-spired temple, it lost its nine spires during the devastating earthquake of 1897. Despite this, the temple remains a stunning showcase of terracotta artistry and is celebrated as one of the finest examples in Bangladesh.
We spoke to Mahdy, a journalist from Bangladesh. He told NewsMeter that the announcement to stop the mosque’s construction was made on March 24, 2024. The mosque was being built on the land of this historic Kantaji temple in Kaharol Upazila of Dinajpur. However, Dinajpur Raj Deeded Estate launched a movement against it even though the people of the mosque committee had been saying there was a mosque and a temple on the land for a long time. The district administration has stopped the construction of a mosque on the temple land.
Rubaid Islam, a journalist with Channel 24 in Bangladesh, confirmed that the news about the mosque construction next to Kantaji Temple is misleading. Similarly, Saikuuzaman from Rumor Scanner verified that these claims don’t have any factual basis.
Therefore, the claim that Muslims are planning to build a mosque on the land of the ancient Kantaji Temple in Bangladesh is misleading. While construction activities began briefly in March 2024, they were halted after complaints and a subsequent decision by the district administration.
