Kolkata, July 15 -- Residents of Bankra, a neighbourhood off Jessore Road near Kolkata airport, have started offering namaz at nearby mosques after access to the historic Gauripur Jame Masjid inside the airport premises was stopped last Friday.
Worshippers are now using the Jamia Islamia Madania madrasa and the Bisharpara mosque, both located close to the airport. Locals said the airport mosque had served generations of families and continued to remain their primary place of worship even after the area was relocated during airport expansion in the 1950s.
Residents said daily attendance at the mosque ranged from around a dozen devotees for the dawn prayer to 20-30 during afternoon and evening prayers. Friday congregations typically drew more than 100 worshippers, while Eid prayers attracted over 200 people. During the early days of Ramzan, around 300-350 people gathered for iftar before evening prayers.
According to residents, access restrictions gradually increased after the CISF took over airport security around 2000. Entry, which initially required only a register at the gate, later involved Aadhaar verification before being limited to Bankra residents.
Locals also recalled that a corridor connecting the mosque was removed during construction of an aircraft taxiway, after which shuttle buses were introduced for devotees.
Residents said they have cooperated with changing security measures and hope the issue can be resolved through discussions while maintaining airport security.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.