136-Year-Old Kolkata Mosque Faces Relocation Over Runway Safety

Security concerns at Kolkata airport have placed a 136-year-old mosque in the spotlight after aviation regulators flagged its proximity to the runway. Located just 165 meters from the secondary runway, the Bankra Gauri Jama Masjid falls inside the mandatory 240-meter safety buffer required by ICAO norms. Officials say the mosque forces the touchdown point 88 meters farther back, complicating the installation of advanced landing systems and restricting wide-body aircraft operations. Former minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind state chief Siddiqullah Chowdhury has pushed back against any quick relocation. He told reporters that airport authorities promised in 1962 that the mosque would stay and prayers would continue. Chowdhury warned that neither the community nor its leaders will agree to dismantle the structure themselves. Instead, he proposed forming a committee of established religious bodies to explore alternatives. Recent meetings involving the district magistrate, airport officials, CISF, and local police have so far produced no final decision. Chowdhury emphasized that any solution must emerge through consensus, not coercion, and that talks will continue until an agreement acceptable to both sides is reached.