On the bank of the Bhadrabati river at Baruhans village in Tarash, Sirajganj, the Chowdhury Bari Jame Mosque has stood for more than a century and a half. With three domes, thick lime-and-brick-dust walls and fine decoration, it still fills for daily prayers, and on Fridays worshippers come from far away.
Locals say it was built in 1875 by Del Mahmud Chowdhury, the zamindar of Baruhans, though the zamindar family gives the builder's name as Delwar Hossain Khan Chowdhury. Built in front of the zamindar's house, it has the family's old home and graveyard to the south, with the river and canals around it.
On about four decimals of land, its features are the three domes, three large minarets on eight pillars and five small minarets. Past its three wooden doors, about 60 worshippers can pray in three rows inside, with two more rows on the open veranda. There is no separate mihrab or minbar, but the imam gives the Friday sermon from a preserved wooden minbar.
Hafez Maulana Md Khabir Uddin has been imam and khatib for 31 years and says the mosque is packed for Jumuah. The muezzin, 80-year-old Abdul Latif Khandakar, followed his father Doyem Ali Khandakar in the role. The zamindar's grandson, Md Shahnewaz Khan Chowdhury, said the family manages the mosque, and the zamindar endowed 10 bighas of land as waqf to pay the imam and muezzin and other costs.
Family members say the main structure is unchanged, with some renovation for its appearance. Researcher and writer Kh M Rezaul Karim said its architecture closely resembles Mughal-era mosques.
Tarash upazila nirbahi officer Nusrat Jahan said that, given its importance, the administration has contacted the Department of Archaeology about preserving the three-domed mosque and will seek details of its history, building style and archaeological value.
The report was filed by NewsBangla24's Sirajganj correspondent.
Photo: Kherua Mosque in Bogura, another old three-domed mosque, Rony Barua / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); representative image
Source: News Bangla 24
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