Large donations pour in for proposed Babri Mosque in West Bengal
The proposed structure is planned for construction in Murshidabad, close to the Bangladesh–India border.
Significant public donations have begun to accumulate for a proposed Babri Mosque in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, where trunks of cash are being counted under CCTV surveillance at the residence of local lawmaker Humayun Kabir.
This mosque is unrelated to the original 16th-century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, which was demolished in 1992.
The proposed structure is planned for construction in Murshidabad, close to the Bangladesh–India border.
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A substantial amount of rupees has been found in 11 trunks brought to the home of Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir in Rejinagar, where 30 people have been appointed to count the donations.
Cash has been poured onto the floor in front of observers, with counting continuing for hours and currency-counting machines brought in for the task.
According to organisers, the donations fall under the "West Bengal Islamic Foundation of India". Counting began yesterday evening (7 December) in the presence of Islamic scholars and continued past midnight.
By the time seven trunks had been opened, approximately Rs37 lakh (around Tk50 lakh) had been tallied. The entire process is being monitored with CCTV cameras.
Humayun Kabir said the early flow of donations reflects public interest in the project even before construction begins.
He claimed that Rs93 lakh (about Tk1.2 crore) was deposited through QR code payments alone on the day the foundation stone was laid, and that around 15 lakh bricks had been donated in two days.
On Saturday (6 December), the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, the suspended Trinamool Congress Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Humayun Kabir laid the foundation stone for the proposed mosque in Murshidabad.
He returned the following day carrying bricks himself, and announced an estimated construction cost of Rs300 crore (about Tk407 crore).
He also said an unnamed individual had pledged Rs80 crore (about Tk108 crore), with others continuing to contribute.
Humayun Kabir further claimed that requests had come from residents of Birbhum and Malda to construct similar 'Babri' mosques in those districts, and that he would consider the proposals.
The large volume of donations has also drawn attention in political circles.
While some members of the public have welcomed what they view as a transparent counting process, others have raised questions about the source of the funds, their accounting, and the legal procedures surrounding such contributions.
