Shah Mahmud Masjid

The ‘Harano Masjid’, discovered 27 years ago in village Ramdas under Panchagram union Parishad of Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila still under the ground. It is situated about 15 kilometers south-east of Lalmonirhat town and only two kilometers away from the Rangpur-Kurigram road from Barobari point. The mosque is 21 feet wide and 10 feet long. There are four pillars. Two of them are damaged.

Often, visitors from different places visit the mosque believing that it was made by the followers of the great Prophet. Considering the belief, local people call it Sahaba Keram Mosque. Many historians and researchers claim that it is probably the first mosque built in the sub-continent in the year 69 Hijri of Arabic calendar. The researchers found that the `Harano Masjid’ was built after 61 years of building the Koanta mosque in the Chinese port city of Canton on the bank of the river Koanta in the Hijri year of 8.

Locals said that the ruins of the mosque were first found in 1986 during clearing of the jungle areas there to make the land arable. The area was earlier known as’ Mosder Ara’, locally meaning that a deep forest containing a mosque of ancient times. It was not known to the local people till 1986 that there was a mosque. In fact, they could not comprehend what `Mosder Ara’ really meant for though they knew the place as like as their forefathers. It is now clear that `Mosder’ means mosque and `Ara’ means a jungle or deep forest. The place was a dense and fearful forest for centuries, full of wild animals like tigers, poisonous snakes, foxes and other animals. Nobody entered the jungle till 1986 out of fear, but the locals said that in the course of time the mosque sank into the earth beyond the knowledge of anyone, and a mound developed there under a big `Sheora’ tree, perhaps following an earthquake.

According to the Imam of the mosque Hafez Mohammad Abdul Hamid and some elderly people in the area, there was a very big `Paikor’, tree on about an acre of land there in the jungle covering the whole area of the mosque long ago. Hundreds of families were evicted from their lands during the British period when construction of Lalmonirhat Airport at Lalmonirhat town started for the use of the British Air Force during the Second World War. The evicted families went to the nearby areas of village `Mosder Ara’ for resettlement. In the course of time, the deep forest was gradually reduced in area with construction of houses.

Some people or their forefathers had bought two acres of land including the Ara of the then untraced mosque some decades ago. The very big tree was also sold and the two acres of land were divided into three equal parts among the owners of the land in 1985. The portion of the land containing the untraced underground ancient mosque went to the share of Omar Ali of the village who sold his part to Shamsul Haque. During the clearing of the jungle in 1986, the ruins of an ancient building were found while digging the land.

Ayub Ali, an elderly person in the village found six pieces of special size bricks with handworks on them. Other people and laborers also took away bricks, thousands in number after digging the area. The bricks found by Ayub Ali had some inscriptions on them. Kalema Taiyeba `La Elaha Ellallahu Muhammadur Rasullullah’, 69 Hijri year were inscribed in Arabic on some of those bricks. Some other stones bore inscriptions of flowers. Local people then informed the journalists and researchers of their findings in the beginning of 1987. Hundreds of people including Islamic researchers and historians started to flock the area became sure of an ancient mosque at the site which was built in the 69 Hijri year (690 AD).

The surrounding areas were partially dug then and local people found huge ruins of minarets and other structures which were built only for a mosque. There had been a number of miraculous incidents in the village concerning the power of the `Harano Masjid’. They also confirmed that the Harano Masjid at village Ramdas was built by those Sahaba-E-Kerams in the Hijri saying that the Almighty has blessed the people of the present time to know about the `Harano Masjid’ which literally means “lost mosque”.

Referring the terracotta brick which was found from the mosque compound the founder and director of Lalmonirhat District Museum Ashrafuzaman mandol said that the mosque was built in 69 hijri. At present, the loose bricks are kept in Tazhat Museum in Rangpur by the Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur. Another mosque was built in 1364 AD by Arabian merchants who came to the region to promote Islam as well as for trading in the sub-continent through Brahmaputra and Teesta rivers.

Tem Steel, a British researcher and the Chief Adviser of the Tiger Tours Ltd. visited the mosque. He told the locals that during the lifetime of the Prophet two mosques were built in South Asia, one in China and another in India. But there is no archeological evidence at present in favour of the claim. But this mosque has evidence that it was built in 69 Arabic years. Possibly it is the mentioned mosque in South Asia. He also added that according to construction year it is an ancient mosque in the history of Islam. So as a Muslim country it should be protected and repaired by the government. ”I believe that this lost mosque is a part of Islamic heritage. The Arabs and Chinese who use to come to this area for trading used to take shelter in various places and worked for the promotion of Islam”. He urged to do more research on the mosque.

The principal of Harano Masjid Hafiziya Madrasha Mawlana Abdur Rahim said that an 11-member” 69 Hijri Harano Masjid complex committee was formed on April 12 in 1993 with Dr. Shah Muhammad Emdadul Haque as its president. After his death, Muhammad Nuruzzaman Bosunia is carrying out the responsibility as the new President. The committee has opened a visitor’s book there on the same day on April 12 in 1993, which has already been signed by thousands of visitors both from home and abroad.

The president of mosque committee Muhammad Nuruzzaman Bosuniya said that the committee has planned to rebuild the `Harano Masjid,’ to establish a Madrasha, one Islamic Library, a research centre, a Musafirkhana and an orphanage with 100 seat capacity on the mosque premises. “Reconstruction and renovation works of the mosque had started some four years ago. The ancient brick samples have been sent abroad for examinations,” he said adding that many people both from home and abroad wanted to donate funds and other assistances to assist the committee but no response yet.

He added that the ex-local MP, also was the Deputy Minister for Relief and Disaster Management Principal Asadul Habib Dulu along with State Minister for religious Affairs Mossarref Hossain Shahjahan MP, visited the mosque site on June 5 in 2003. They discussed with the committee members and they assured them of all possible cooperation to reconstruct the mosque and other complexes there on 62 decimals of land as soon as possible but it was only giving promises. “Now we need supports and funds to protect the heritage site. The people here in the village are poor and most of them live hand to mouth are not capable to donate fund for continuing upgrading work for the mosque,” he said appealing supports and funds from the kindhearted people in home and abroad.

Source: The daily Star

Court Masjid (কোর্ট মসজিদ) is located at the center of the Gopalganj Sadar Upazila. It is a nicely decorated mosque having a high minaret beside and a central dome atop of the mosque. The dome and the minaret is oriented with lot of small stars. This mosque was inaugurated (at 1949) by the Khaza Nazimuddin (খাজা নাজিমুদ্দিন), the former governor general of East Pakistan.

[This spot needs more detail. If you have more information and photos, please be advised to add in our website. Your name will be published as a Content Contributor]

The Chandamari mosque in Kurigram is an ancient Mughal mosque that has been around for centuries. However, the mosque is falling inexorably into ruin due to acid rain and lack of proper maintenance. The mosque is situated in the village of Chandamari in Chakirpasha union under the Rajarhat Upazila in the district of Kurigram. No one knows the exact year the mosque was built or who built it. The locals consider it the oldest mosque in the area, at approximately five hundred years old. The architecture of the mosque is very similar to that of other buildings dating back to the Mughal times. It should be mentioned that there is no department of archaeology in the district. Should archaeologists visit the mosque and perform carbon dating experiments, its year of foundation may be pinpointed.

During a visit to the site, local man Abdul Zalil Sarker and President of the Mosque Committee Jakir Hossen Chowdhury told Star Insight that perhaps future generations will know the exact age of the mosque. "It was built in the 16th or 17th century. It bears some similarities to the structure of the Atia mosque (1609 AD) in Tangail," a local historian said. Local sources say that though there are 52 decimals of land in the mosque's name, whilst it is established on only five decimals. The height of the mosque is 45”. There are three large, four medium and twenty-four small domes on top, the four corners and around the mosque respectively. Nine of smaller domes have been damaged.

This mosque, however, is not one of a kind. Hundreds of old buildings with ample antique value and rich heritage are crumbling due to lack of care while others are even being deconstructed. The issue seems to be ignored completely by authorities despite plenty of public interest and protest.

The mosque was made with flat tally bricks, which were cemented together with a kind of paste called Bhishkas. The thickness of walls, roof and domes are 4”. From a long period of continued carelessness, a crack had formed in the center of the 3 large domes. Being unfit, the middle dome was reduced by ½ feet and repaired by the mosque committee, who also built a tin-shed porch in front of the mosque.

Nawabbari Mosque of Dhonbari is built at the outside of the Nawab Manzil premise, so that local people can access it during their prayer time. Initially, Nawabbari Mosque of Dhonbari was an old fashioned three domes mosque similar to the other ancient mosques from Bangladesh. But later this mosque was extended to accommodate more people. Extended part is having 10/12 minarets at top which are similar to Persian design. This extension with the old fashioned mosque made it a hybrid looking mosque. Not enough antiquities are left now a days.

But still, you'll love to see this mosque. It’s neat and clean everywhere. Apart from the mosque, there are few micro edifices are available around the mosque. I am not sure what those are.

There are few old graves available at the graveyard which is at the western side of the mosque. Since 1929, after the death of Nawab Ali Choudhury (নবাব আলী চৌধুরী) the Holy Qur'an has been recited continually beside his grave.

জনসাধারণ যেন নামাজ পড়তে পারেন সেজন্য এই মসজিদটি নবাব মঞ্জিলের সীমানার বাইরে নির্মাণ করা হয়েছিল। বাংলাদেশের অন্যান্য প্রাচীন মসজিদের মত এটিও একটি তিনগম্বুজ বিশিষ্ট মসজিদ ছিল। পরবর্তীতে ধারনক্ষমতা বাড়ানোর জন্য মসজিদটিকে বর্ধিত করা হয়। মসজিদটির বর্ধিত অংশে পারস্য নকশার সাথে মিল রেখে ১০ টি থেকে ১২ টি মিনার নির্মাণ করা হয়। বর্ধিতকরনের কারনে মসজিদটির প্রাচীন বৈশিষ্ট্য অনেকাংশেই লোপ পেয়েছে।

তবে এখনও পরিষ্কার পরিছন্ন মসজিদটি দেখে আপনার ভাল লাগবে। মসজিদের আশেপাশে কিছু ক্ষুদ্রাকৃতির স্তম্ভ রয়েছে যদিও এসব কি এবং কেন এখানে রয়েছে তা জানা যায়নি। মসজিদের পশ্চিমে অবস্থিত কবরস্থানে কিছু প্রাচীন কবর রয়েছে। ১৯২৯ সালে নবাব আলী চৌধুরীর মৃত্যুর পর তাঁর কবরের পাশে সবসময় পবিত্র কোরআন শরীফ পড়া হয়ে আসছে।