Kolkata: Access to the 136-year-old Gauripur Jama Masjid, also known as the Bankra Mosque, at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport has been suspended after the Central Industrial Security Force, or CISF, stopped worshippers from entering the mosque, leading to the suspension of daily prayers.
Airport authorities initially informed mosque representatives that heavy rainfall had damaged the approach route and required three days of repair work. After the stated period ended, entry did not resume. The CISF reportedly stated that it had received no further instructions to restore access.
For years, worshippers entered the mosque under a regulated arrangement. Groups of 20 people travelled from Gate No. 8 under CISF escort after completing security checks and identity verification.
According to reports, authorities later cited security concerns raised by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security over civilian movement near active airport taxiways.
The mosque committee said airport authorities had held discussions for a long time about relocating the mosque and had assured them of alternative land. General Secretary Mohammad Zamiruddin said the committee received no prior notice before access was suspended.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Saugata Roy condemned the move and called it an attack on people’s faith. He said any relocation should take place only after reaching a consensus with the local community. Roy also noted that the mosque had existed for 136 years and had remained alongside airport operations for decades.
Siddiqullah Chowdhury, President of the West Bengal Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, said the mosque was built in 1890, long before the airport came into existence. He criticised the authorities for halting prayers without dialogue and urged them to resolve the matter through discussion instead of administrative action.
The dispute has also raised questions over the mosque’s status. The mosque committee maintained that the structure predates the airport, while airport expansion took place around it over several decades. The future of the mosque now remains uncertain as concerns grow over relocation and continued suspension of prayers.
