A mosque of historical importance

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Md Layes Uddin
Establishment of this mosque is quite miraculous. It is learnt from the local people that at about 275 years ago the inhabitants of the area heard that somebody was reciting the verses of the Holy Quran from inside a pillar situated on the eastern side of Belabo Bazar in Narsingdi, in such a melodious voice which cannot be described in any manner. This was happening almost everyday, but nobody could see who recites the verses. The people of the nearby village came to know about it and thus people of other villages also started coming to hear the miraculous recitation. Some people also started praying beside the pillar out of emotion. Considering the difficulties of the visitors, one Mohammad Ali Bepari constructed a small tin-shed mosque beside the pillar where only 1,012 pious people could say their prayer at a time. But at one stage people having emotion and religious feeling started coming in a large number from the near and far areas to pray for remission of their difficulties with the belief that if they pray in the mosque they will get relief. Thus the mosque earns reputation as 'Fajilater Mosjid,' the mosque of remission.
At the end of the reign of a Mughal Emperor, a pucca building was constructed in place of the tin-shed mosque. But in the late twenties, the condition of the mosque became worst. The mosque also became dangerous for the pious people to pray there. Then some small traders of the Bazar under the leadership of one Swapon came forward and prepared a temporary shed outside the original mosque using bamboo mats and shacks where 500 to 700 pious people could say their prayer. But that arrangement was not sufficient, because the inhabitants of the nearby villages believed that if they prayed in the 'Fajilater Mosjid', their wishes would be fulfilled. Thus a large number of pious people came to the mosque everyday. On Fridays some 7,000 to 8,000 people gathered there and they faced a tremendous trouble during the rainy season. Considering the trouble of the pious people, the local dignitaries became anxious and then they requested the members of parliament (MPs) of BNP and Awami League for solving the problem. At one stage it was declared that the mosque would be re-constructed with aid from the Saudi government. Some officials of Saudi and Bangladesh governments also visited the mosque but in vein. The local people became hopeless when the project could not be materialised. At this stage the dignitaries of the locality approached the managing director of Tharmex Group Mr Abdul Kadir Mollah and requested him to visit the mosque and to say his Friday prayer in the mosque. One Friday in 2006, Mr Abdul Kadir Mollah went there to say his prayer and found that some 20,000 pious people gathered there to say their Friday prayer. Then Mr Abdul Kadir Mollah promised that he would construct a mosque with a capacity of accommodating 10,000 people. Thereafter, he searched for an eye-catching design of a mosque on the internet and upon selection of an attractive design he rapidly completed the construction by engaging a local contractor and handed over the key of the mosque to the Masjid Committee on this November 8.
According to renowned architects, this mosque is the best mosque of the country as it has been constructed following the modern architectural design and using the most valuable marble stones and tiles. The construction of this mosque cost about Tk 32.1 million (3 crore 21 lac). It has an arrangement for 12,000 pious people to say their prayer at a time.
Mr Abdul Kadir Mollah also established an orphanage beside the mosque where 240 distressed students are learning Quran with Mr. Mollah bearing all the expenditures. Not only that, Mr Mollah has established a total of eight orphanages with the funding assistance from his eight industrial units. He also established about 20 more mosques in different areas of the district.
Mr. Abdul Kadir Mollah is a non-politician pious Muslim and he has estabfished all these religious institutions with a view to earning the satisfaction of Almighty Allah.