Kolkata: On December 6, former MLA Humayun Kabir—currently suspended from his party—laid the foundation stone for a “Babri Masjid–style” mosque at Beldanga in Murshidabad, drawing thousands of supporters to the event. Eleven large stainless-steel donation boxes were placed on-site to collect public contributions.
By Sunday night, the donations were so overwhelming that a special currency-counting machine had to be brought to Kabir’s Rejinagar residence, where counting began under CCTV surveillance.
From just four boxes and one sack, officials counted approximately Rs 37.33 lakh. QR code–based digital donations added another Rs 93 lakh, taking the total to over Rs 1.3 crore, even before opening the remaining sealed boxes. A dedicated 30-member team has been working through the night to maintain transparency.
Supporters have also begun contributing bricks and construction materials. According to Kabir’s camp, the response has far exceeded expectations, with donations flowing in from abroad as well.
All collected funds, they say, will be securely stored as the mosque project advances.