New Delhi: India has asked Bangladesh to take urgent action in the case of the theft of a crown from a Kali idol in the Jeshoreshwari temple. The crown was a gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2021 visit to the country.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka is in touch with local authorities, urging them to investigate the matter and find the guilty parties.
The theft happened around 2.30 pm Thursday, according to local media reports. Taizul Islam, the inspector of Shyamnagar police station in Bangladesh, confirmed the incident to The Daily Star. The police are currently reviewing CCTV footage to investigate and identify the thief.
In a statement on X, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka expressed “deep concern” over the theft of the crown from one of the 51 ‘shakti peeths‘ of Hinduism found across South Asia.
We have seen reports of theft of the crown gifted by PM Modi to Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple (Satkhira) in 2021 during his visit to 🇧🇩
We express deep concern & urge Govt of Bangladesh to investigate theft, recover the crown & take action against the perpetrators@MEAIndia @BDMOFA
— India in Bangladesh (@ihcdhaka) October 11, 2024
Temple priest Dilip Mukherjee, after prayers, left the premises at around 2 pm. The cleaning staff entered the temple afterwards and noticed the crown missing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh on 26-27 March 2021 — his first visit after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 — at the invitation of then Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina. During the two-day visit, Modi met with community and opposition party leaders and held a bilateral meeting with Hasina.
The visit also commemorated three events — the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 50 years of the two countries establishing diplomatic ties, and 50 years of the liberation of Bangladesh, according to a Ministry of External Affairs statement from that time.
The Indian Prime Minister visited the Jeshoreshwari temple on 27 March 2021 and shared a video on X. During his departure, Modi said he would look forward “to offering prayers to Goddess Kali at the ancient Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple”.
At the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. pic.twitter.com/XsXgBukg9m
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021
All sections in Bangladesh did not welcome Modi’s visit at the time. Protests against his visit broke out at least a week before. On 26 March, when Modi landed in Dhaka, violent clashes broke out in parts of the city after Friday prayers.
The authorities used tear gas and rubber bullets to quell the protests, led by Islamists and other sections who accused Modi of pursuing anti-Muslim policies in India. According to BBC News, 12 protesters were killed — highlighting the undercurrents of anti-India sentiments within Bangladesh despite the strong government-to-government ties between New Delhi and Dhaka.
However, since the fall of Hasina’s government in August 2024, ties between New Delhi and Dhaka have hit a rough patch. Incidents targeting minority Hindus were reported after Hasina’s ouster from the country.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: As Modi heads to Laos, a look at what’s at stake in the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits