Rajib Shah's purported 'floating mosque' evicted from Suhrawardy Udyan

Authorities have evicted a structure dubbed the 'floating mosque' of Rajib Shah, which had been built in the capital's Suhrawardy Udyan and had generated discussion on social media.

The structure was removed on Sunday (July 26) around 3:30pm in a joint operation by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and the Public Works Department .

According to sources, the temporary structure was built in the space between the Liberation War Museum and the theatre hall in Suhrawardy Udyan. A floor was constructed using bricks, and carpets and prayer mats were laid out. A tarpaulin was set up overhead for prayer, along with a water tank for ablution and a temporary washroom.

During the eviction, authorities recovered several copies of the Holy Quran, bookstands, copies of the Quran's Bengali translations and a few trunks.

According to local residents and water vendors at the park, a person named Rajib Shah began living there about nine months ago. He later cultivated paddy and various types of flowering plants on the site and also built a small temporary shelter for himself.

The authorities claimed the structure was evicted through a joint operation as it was built by illegally occupying government land without permission. However, no information was immediately available regarding any arrests or legal cases in connection with the incident.