So far Bangladesh is concerned Guru Nanak is stated to have visited Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh and
stayed there for some days. Gurudwara Nanakshahi, situated on 3, Neelkhet Road, Shahbag, Dhaka is a
memorial to his visit. The Guru visited this place via Mithila, Kant Nagar (Dinajpur), Kamroop and Sylhet
and he left for Deccan via Chitta Gong, Kolkata and Jagannathpuri (Orissa). As this place was the site of
Dhakeshwari Temple, Guru Nanak visited this place for meeting the devotees. The people were facing
acute scarcity of water and were dying because of the diseases
caused by impure water. The tradition records that the Guru got dug
a well for the people to get pure water there from. The said well
was existing till 1959, when the Pakistan Government used the land
for allotting houses to the people. The concerned allottee made a
house on the relevant piece of land covering the relevant well in that
area. However, at a later stage when Gurdwara was constructed to
mark the place of Guru’s stay in Dhaka, this became an important
visited shrine for the people. Good numbers of reforms were made
in 1971-72 after the liberation of Bangladesh. When General Jagjeet
Singh Arora led a delegation in 1972, he met the Prime Minister of
Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who also visited the Gurdwara
and ordered the necessary reforms. There are two handwritten
Beeds (recensions) of Guru Granth Sahib placed in this Gurdwara.
The management of this Gurdwara and other Sikh shrines in Bangladesh was handed over to Bangladesh
Gurdwara Management Board which conducted its duties from Kolkata. In 1972 the Board appointed Bhai
Kartar Singh is the Head Priest of Gurdwara Nanak Shahi to perform the daily Maryada. Bhai Kartar Singh
was earlier a priest at Takhat Patna Sahib. At present, Bhai Pyara Singh and other priests and Sewadars sent
by Baba Sukha Singh, Chief of Kar Sewa Samprada, Sarhali (Amritsar) are performing the religious duties
and reciting Gurbani Kirtan. During the Vaisakhi and Guru Nanak Birth anniversary, Sikh Jathas from India
visit this Gurdwara and stay here for the celebrations. Even the foreign Sikh nationals who come to Dhaka
Some Prominent Gurdwaras and 16 Sikh Organizations of The World
are allowed to visit this place, stay here and pay their obeisance. Contact details of this Gurdwara are, emails
– dhakagurunanaksahi@yahoo.com, gurunanaksahi_dhaka@yahoo.com. Contact numbers 044-78076662,
01715199300 and 01685584554
