Grand opening of Banani Central Jame Masjid's new building held

The new building of Banani Central Jame Masjid in Dhaka has been inaugurated through a somber ceremony on Friday (3 March). 

Freedom fighter Dr HBM Iqbal, chairman of Premier Bank Limited and ex-member of parliament, took the initiative in 2019 as chief khadem along with a board of 31 khadems of Banani Central Jame Masjid, reads a press release.

The inauguration was carried out through unveiling of the foundation plaque. 

Mahbubul Alam Hanif, joint general secretary of Bangladesh Awami League; BH Haroon, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Religious Affairs; Atiqul Islam, mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation; Essa Bin Yousef Essa Al Duhailan, Saudi ambassador to Bangladesh; and Abdullah Ali Al Hamoudi, UAE ambassador to Bangladesh, were present on the occasion. 

Nazrul Islam Mazumder, chairman of Bangladesh Association of Banks; Md Jashim Uddin, president of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries; Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, chairman of Standard Bank Limited; Lieutenant General Molla Fazle Akbar, former director general of Directorate General of Forces; Shawkat Ali Bhuyian (Dilan), president of Banani Society; spiritual leader Al Hajj Mawlana Hazrat Syed Jakir Shah Nokshbondi Mojadedi Kutubbagi and many others also attended the ceremony.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad led the first Namaz in the new Banani Central Jame Masjid prayer hall. A congregation of almost 25,000 Muslims had gathered even before the Namaz and speech session to join the first Salat al-Jumu'ah. 

The newly constructed 8 storied building (including mezzanine floors) is completely air-conditioned, contains separate Wadu and Namaz halls for men and women, a separate prayer hall for the elderly, an Islamic library on the top floor and 2 extensive basements.