To a great extent, the hush-hush atmosphere surrounding the temple only fuels suspicions. The white building, surrounded by high walls and topped with a dome, looks like a fortress. Its main iron gate stays locked all the time. Visitors are allowed in through a side entrance. There is simply no way of knowing its purpose from outside.

Although there are no restrictions on entry, hardly anybody ventures inside. Thousands of passers-by - mostly students and teachers - walk past the Gurudwara everyday, but nobody seems eager to find out what really goes on.

Professor Serajul Islam Chowdhury has been teaching English literature at the university for 30 years. 'I go past the Gurudwara every day", he said, 'but frankly speaking I've never been inside".

There is not much to see. Gurdip Singh, 63, and Piara Singh, 38, are the only occupants, albeit temporary, of the complex which received a major face-lift in 1990. Sent here as priests about two years ago from India they are waiting for the arrival of their successors.

Since the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 the temple has been run by the Calcutta-based Bangladesh Gurudwara Management Board, which appoints the priests, usually for a two-year term. Before that it used to be looked after by the Shiromoni Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee in Amritsar, India - the birthplace of Guru Nanak who founded the Sikh religion.

'There's not much to do here", acknowledged Gurdip Singh. Except for performing daily rituals like reciting from the Guru Granth Saheb, the holy book, and leading the langar, or Friday congregation, the two priests find it hard to spend their time in a worthwhile way.