The development works of the mosque adjacent to AFM Kamaluddin Hall and Shaheed Salam-Barkat Hall of Jahangirnagar University, scheduled to be demolished and rebuilt in January, is stuck for not getting 'work order' from the project office.
On closer inspection, large cracks were seen in almost all the walls of the mosque. The plaster of the roof is constantly falling, the walls of the Ozukhana (Ablution Room) of the mosque are broken. A few months ago, a student was injured when a lining collapsed from the roof.
The students had repeatedly demanded that the mosque be demolished and rebuilt.
Professor Ali Azam Talukder, the provost of Shaheed Salam-Barkat Hall, said that the construction of the two-storied mosque would start by the end of January.
However, no construction works have started as yet.
It is learned that for the construction of the new mosque, a total of Tk 14 million has been allocated.
The tender for construction of the mosque has also been passed through an e-tender but no work order has been issued by the project office yet.
Nasir Uddin, acting director of extended development projects, said, "We are trying to start construction of the mosque soon. We have not been able to start work on the mosque yet due to various pressures under the development project."
However, the construction work of the mosque will start in April.
In this regard, the provost of Shaheed Salam-Barkat Hall, Professor Ali Azam Talukder, who is in charge of the mosque, said, "I am trying my best to commence the development work. We have built a temporary shed behind the mosque as an alternative to the prayers so that we can demolish the mosque by April 14 and inaugurate work."
