President Kovind inaugurates historic Kalibari temple in Dhaka

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated a famous Hindu temple in Dhaka that was destroyed by Pakistani forces in 1971. He declared that the revived shrine represents the “spiritual and cultural” bonds between India and Bangladesh.
Addressing the Indian community in Dhaka after inaugurating the new Ramna Kalibari, Kovind said the relationship between India and Bangladesh is marked by shared language, culture and kinship. “I pay tribute to the enormous sacrifices made by the people of Bangladesh to achieve freedom from tyranny. We salute your indomitable courage in fighting against the formidable odds and standing up against injustice,”Kovind said in his speech.
The inauguration of the reconstructed Kalibari temple coincided with the 50th anniversary of the victory of Bangladesh and India in the Liberation War, which also marks the golden jubilee of the bilateral relations between the two sides. President Kovind participated in the festivities at the National Parade Ground of Dhaka.
The President also held delegation-level talks with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, wherein both sides took stock of the progress in bilateral relations and discussed ways to further deepen cooperation for the benefit of the people of the two countries. It should be noted that the temple was completely destroyed by the Pakistani Army’s operation code-named ‘Operation Searchlight’ in 1971, targeting the resistance movement in the country. The temple was set on fire by the Pakistani forces, killing many people, including devotees and those residing in it. India supported the renovation of the temple.
Hindus make up some 10 per cent of Muslim-majority Bangladesh’s 169 million population.