Authorities at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport have indefinitely suspended entry to the Bankra Mosque located within the airport's operational area.
The closure of the site, also known as the Gauripur Jama Mosque, represents a significant shift in access to a long-standing religious landmark situated inside a high-security aviation zone.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said he supports the decision made by airport authorities. The move comes as the administration prioritizes aviation safety and national security concerns [1, 2, 3].
The Bankra Mosque is 136 years old [4]. Its location within the airport's operational perimeter has created logistical challenges for the facility's management, particularly regarding the movement of people in restricted zones [4, 5].
Officials said runway-expansion constraints were a primary driver for the restriction [1, 2]. As the airport seeks to modernize and expand its infrastructure, the presence of a public-access religious site within the operational area is viewed as a conflict with safety protocols [1, 3].
National security concerns were also highlighted as a justification for the suspension [2, 3]. The administration said that restricting access to the mosque is necessary to maintain the integrity of the airport's secure perimeter.
The suspension remains in effect indefinitely, though the authorities have not provided a specific timeline for any potential reconsideration of access [4, 6].
“Entry to the 136-year-old Bankra Mosque inside Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport has been halted.”
The suspension of access to the Bankra Mosque highlights the tension between preserving historical religious sites and meeting modern aviation security standards. By prioritizing runway expansion and operational safety over public access, the West Bengal government is signaling that national security and infrastructure growth take precedence over the traditional use of the site.
