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CHANDPUR, Feb 24: The ancient and historical 'Hajiganj Boro Masjid' in the district has become a famous place of worship for Muslims for about 250 years.
It is one of the biggest mosques in greater Cumilla, carrying archaeological beauties.
The mosque has a glorious past. At first, it was set up as a simple prayer house sometime during 1100 BS after renowned saint Mokimuddin (RA) along with his family members came here to preach Islam from a Arab country to a calm and quiet place in Hajiganj.
He set up this prayer house with Goalpata where a small number of local devotees offered prayers.
The place was named after him as Mokimabad. His grandson Monai Haji (RA) later opened a shop called Sunnate Rasul beside the mosque. Local people called it Hajir Dokan.
Gradually, this mosque was developed into a tin-roofed one. Muslim devotees offered prayers for many years in this mosque. The place was gradually known to all as Hajir Bazar and then Hajiganj Bazar.
Hajiganj was upgraded as Thana by the then Pakistan government and finally upazila by the Ershad government.
According to the past records, veteran and nonagenarian people, Monai Haji's grandson Haji Ahammad Ali Patwari (RA) lived a simple life. Instead of building his own home, he rather concentrated immensely upon building and expanding this mosque.
That's why, he had given a vast area (a few acres) of land, derelict ponds and canals for expansion of this mosque as a big 'Jamey Masjid'. So, he is called the founder of this mosque.
After many years, the mosque has been developed in course of time and the entire mosque's area has been expanded as we see now and it has earned name and fame in the entire district and the adjacent areas.
According to the old records, amid enthusiasm on 17 Aswin, 1337 BS, Hazrat Maulana Abul Farah Jainpuri (RA) formally laid the foundation stone of the mosque's Mehrab and other construction work.
After the completion of the mosque's construction work, the first Jum'a prayer was arranged in this mosque on 10 Agrahayan in 1344 BS.
Eminent religious saint Pirey Kamel Hazrat Maulana Abul Bashar Jainpuri (RA) conducted the first Jum'a prayer as imam.
This memorable and auspicious day, Chief Minister of the undivided Bengal Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huque along with a few celebrities and ministers - Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Nawab Mosharef Hossain and Nawabjada Khwaja Nasrullah joined this prayer as distinguished guests. Later, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani also offered Jum'a prayers in this mosque. Many other celebrities, renowned political persons and famous religious saints from home and abroad also visited this mosque and offered prayers here.
For all these reasons, the mosque is widely regarded in the district as 'Hajiganj Historical Boro Masjid'.The mosque has rare type of archaeological beauties which attracts the attention of tourists and strangers.
The mosque has four attractive domes made of pieces of rare type of stones showing lots of stars and a high-rise 'minar' from where Azan is aired on time through loudspeakers for the devotees of remote areas.
The mosque is located just beside busy Chandpur-Cumilla Regional Highway - about 20km east from Chandpur district headquarters.
The mosque has a vast area covering about 10 acres of land of its length and breadth.
Imam Hafej Maulana Abdur Rauf told the FE, "Now, the mosque has enough space on its premises to offer prayers for 15,000 musallis at a time inside the two-storey mosque having a few graveyards and vast open premises around."
The mosque provides religious teachings to several hundred students. The mosque's expenditures are met by 'gifts and niyot-manot of public money'. As a result of this mosque, the upazila town always remains crowded with thousands of people and vehicles.
Every Friday, around 15,000-20,000 Muslims can comfortably offer their Jum'a prayers here.
There is a separate arrangement for women devotees in the mosque.
Devotees from far and near come here well ahead on Fridays to attend Jum'a prayers, said locals.
They also said they always offer prayer here during Muslim festivals like Jummatul Bida, Shab-e-Barat, Shab-e -Qadar, Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.
Azan is aired simultaneously from this mosque through 35/36 loudspeakers on Jummatul Bida day, said the imam of the mosque.
On the occasion of Jummatul Bida, at least 01 lakh musallis come here from far-off places to offer prayers.
Hajiganj municipal authorities and police extend co-operation in holding congregations.
On the mosque premises, hundreds of shops, Islamic and other libraries are located here.
On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha, six congregations are held in this mosque.
There are many graveyards of eminent saints and social workers on the premises of the mosque.'
Talking to the FE, many people, including tourists, have called upon the government to incorporate this ancient and famous mosque as a world heritage site as soon as possible.