Why do people donate huge sums of money to Pagla Mosque?

The headlines like "19 bags of cash in 8 donation boxes of Kishoreganj's Pagla Mosque", and "Tk 5.78cr found in 8 donation boxes of Pagla Mosque" have become a regular feature on newspapers, websites, and TV channels every few months. While it is remarkable how a mosque in Kishoreganj, a small town in the Mymensingh region, can raise such immense sums of money every three months, an even more interesting story is the story behind Pagla Mosque and this tradition of donating there.

In fact, there are two stories, and they both have to do with a glorious period in the history of Bengal. The "Baro Bhuiyan" was a collective of zamindars of the Bengal region who banded together to fight off the Mughals looking to conquer this region. Isa Khan, the legendary leader of the Baro Bhuiyan, was a forebear of the Haybatnagar zamindar family.

The Haybatnagar zamindar mahal is split in two parts. "Dewanbari" is the wing of the house whose residents were descendants of Isa Khan. According to one of the myths behind the founding of Pagla Mosque, Dewan Zilkadar Khan, a descendant of Isa Khan from the Haybatnagar zamindar family, was a man of strong spiritual repute.

Legend has it that Dewan Zilkadar Khan laid a mat in the middle of the Narsunda river, and floated on its waves to reach the location where the mosque stands today. Some say he offered prayers there; others say that his spiritual presence attracted crowds. Eventually, the zamindar family built a prayer hut on some raised ground in the middle of the river for Dewan Zilkadar Khan, who was also known as Zilkadar "Pagla". This place of prayer eventually became the Pagla Mosque we know today.

The other story is also linked to the Haybatnagar zamindar family, but this has to do with a childless woman in the family that the locals used to call "Pagla Bibi". Pagla Bibi had a vision in a dream that dictated her to build a mosque, and many believe that the mosque she built is now known as Pagla Mosque.

Whatever the true origins of the Pagla Mosque may be, it now holds a special place in the hearts of the spiritual people of this region. Muslims as well as followers of other faiths flock to Kishoreganj in the hope of donating to this mosque. They believe that if someone donates to this mosque with true belief in their hearts, then they will be spared from diseases or other troubles that may be ailing them.

Clearly, the enormous amount of money it collects as a donation shows that this belief is strong among many. Since 1979, the mosque has been administered by the government, and the district's DC serves as the president of the mosque administration committee. In August 2023, Tk 5.78 crore was collected from the donation boxes, and three months before that in May, the collection was Tk 5.59 crore. The donations come in the form of cash, both local and foreign currencies, as well as gold ornaments.

The commitment is to spend this money for the welfare of the mosque, for other Islamic centres in the region as well as for assistance to the poor and sick. In June 2021, part of the money was used to buy medical equipment for Shahid Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College in Kishoreganj. A plan is in place to build an international standard Islamic Complex in the Pagla Mosque. The construction cost of which has initially been estimated at Tk 115 crore.