DHAKA, BANGLADESH, November 14, 2019 (Empire’s Last Casualty): Soon after the Probini-ISPaD Meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh in January of 2019, the delegates from India and the U.S. headed for Probini-supported schools (http://www.probini.org) in southern coastal Bangladesh. On their way they stopped at a 15th Century Bishnu (Vishnu) Bari Mandir temple in Barisal district. The granite-built statue of the Deity is in good condition, yet the tin shed was leaking and windows and doors, and parts of the structure were in bad shape. During the earlier 1950s pogrom the original temple structure was damaged but the murti survived. (Adjacent to the temple the 17th Century Black Mother Kali Mandir temple was demolished during that pogrom.)
Seeing the visitors locals of the village came rushing asking for help for repair as they are extremely poor. They also mentioned that recently a gang tried to torch the building. Visitors told them it is beyond Probini’s scope, although very worthy. Soon Sachi G. Dastidar informed some of the descendants of the village living in America, India, Canada and Singapore. Many of the descendants living in the U.S., India, and Singapore replied and promised to help the poor villagers. At the request of the villagers Ghosh Dastidar descendants from Kolkata, Singapore, Bangalore, Queens and Manhattan were able to repair the dilapidated buildings.
View several photos at “source” above.