The Bankra Masjid Committee asked local residents to wear black badges and gather near the mosque entrance after Friday prayers. It stressed that the demonstration would be peaceful and would not involve microphones, processions, road blockades or participation from outsiders.
The mosque, also known as the Bankra mosque, has been closed to worshippers since July 11. Airport authorities initially said the approach road had been damaged by heavy rain and would require repairs for two days. Access was not restored after that period, with officials subsequently citing security concerns and saying the restriction would continue until further orders.
Siddiqullah Chowdhury, president of the mosque committee and the West Bengal branch of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, appealed to residents to avoid confrontation. The former state minister said worshippers would offer prayers at other locations before approaching the gate on Jessore Road wearing black armbands.
Committee members demanded the reopening of Gate No. 7, which had been used to transport worshippers into the airport’s operational area. Visitors were previously required to produce Aadhaar cards and undergo security checks before being allowed to travel to the mosque.
The committee said the identity-verification arrangement had operated for decades and questioned why it had now been deemed inadequate. Airport officials, however, have pointed to concerns raised over civilian movement through a sensitive aviation zone and the absence of clearances aligned with current civil aviation security requirements.
The mosque stands near the northern end of the airport’s secondary runway. Its location has long complicated proposals to expand and modernise Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, including plans to improve runway capacity and install upgraded landing equipment.
Civil aviation authorities have said the structure is about 165 metres from the secondary runway. Its position has contributed to the displacement of the runway threshold by 88 metres, reducing the operational length available to aircraft and limiting safety margins during take-off, landing and emergency situations.
The secondary runway also faces navigational constraints. The mosque’s location prevents the installation of some equipment needed to strengthen landing capabilities at its northern end. These limitations become particularly significant when the primary runway is unavailable or visibility deteriorates during winter.
Security agencies have separately questioned the practice of admitting worshippers into the airport’s operational area on the basis of Aadhaar identification alone. An Aadhaar card establishes identity but does not amount to aviation security clearance for access to restricted airport zones.
The mosque committee said it had received no formal notice, public order or opportunity for consultation before the closure. Its secretary, Munshi Zamil Ahmed, submitted a complaint seeking the registration of a police case over what the committee described as an abrupt and unauthorised restriction.
The complaint argued that prayers had been held at the site continuously since the mosque was built in 1890. It also invoked the constitutional protection of religious practice, while acknowledging that such rights remain subject to lawful restrictions involving security, public order and other recognised considerations.
Committee representatives alleged that officers at the airport police station had declined to accept the complaint, forcing them to send it electronically to the authorities. Police officials said they had no immediate information about the submission.
Residents of Bankra, a neighbourhood near Jessore Road, have offered prayers at home, at the Jamia Islamia Madania madrasa and at the Bisharpara mosque since access was halted. The closure has affected worshippers who regarded Gouripur Jame Masjid as their neighbourhood place of prayer despite its position inside the airport complex.
Proposals to relocate the mosque have been debated for more than three decades. Earlier initiatives failed because of political opposition, concerns among worshippers and difficulties in reaching agreement on an alternative site.
Airport authorities have previously discussed constructing a larger mosque outside the operational boundary. Committee members have said they do not want airport development to suffer but cannot independently approve the relocation of a place of worship without wider consultation.
