News Flash
By Asaduzzaman
SATKHIRA, March 6, 2025 (BSS) - Tentulia Shahi Jame Mosque in Tala upazila of Satkhira appears to be a unique monument of 18th century Muslim architecture.
The historical mosque presumed to be about two hundred years old is locally touted as the Mia Mosque.
Although its original name was Khan Bahadur Kazi Salamatullah Jame Mosque, it is currently known as the Tentulia Shahi Jame Mosque.
After being neglected for a long time, this traditional mosque has recently got a facelift by the Department of Archaeology. However, locals have called for taking an initiative for immediate and complete renovation.
Otherwise, they believe that the mosque representing history and tradition will be lost in evolution of times.
The book 'Mughal Monuments of Bangladesh' published by Maulvi Kazi Salamatullah Khan Bahadur, a pious landlord of Tentulia, elaborated the history of the mosque.
It said Khan Bahadur, who was also a Deputy Collector and Deputy Magistrate during the British rule in the mid-nineteenth century, built the mosque in the eighteenth century.
However, there is a difference of opinion about the exact year of mosque establishment. It has been reported that the mosque was built in 1818, 1825 or 1858-59.
The mosque is located on an acre of land next to the regional road, two to three kilometers north of Tala Upazila Sadar.
There is a huge pond on about two acres of land on the north side of the mosque.
A staircase descends to the bottom of the pond from the mosque. The mosque has 7 doors. Each door is 9 feet high and 4 feet wide. The roof of the mosque is built on 12 pillars with a 10-square-foot wall.
The mosque, built with Chunsurki and Chittagur masonry, has 6 large domes with 15 feet high each and 14 minarets with 8 feet high each.
In addition, there are 4 more minarets at the four corners having 25 feet in height. 325 people can pray together in 5 rows inside the mosque and 175 people in the outer courtyard of the mosque.
It is known that the Archaeology Department took over control of the mosque in 1987.
According to Monty Siddiqui, a descendant of Kazi Salamatullah, who lives in London, said the mosque bears similarities to the Shahjani Begum Mosque of Kolkata, established in 1840-41, and the Tipu Sultan Mosque of Dharmatala, Kolkata, established in 1842.
'Salam Manzil' on the other side of the road, very close to the mosque, was also established by Kazi Salamat Ullah in the contemporary period.
He and his descendants lived there. It is now in a dilapidated state.
In addition, there is an old Shahi Jame Mosque with a dome located a quarter mile northwest of the Kazi Salamat Ullah Shahi Jame Mosque. It is locally known as the Bhanga Masjid (Broken Mosque).
It was established by Kazi Najibullah Khan, the predecessor of Kazi Salamat Ullah Khan, around in 1628-1658.
His descendant Kazi Salamat Ullah Khan later built the Tentulia Shahi Jame Mosque in the Tentulia Bazar area. After being dilapidated for long-term negligence, it has been renovated to some extent.
However, although there are traces of the graves of many unknown people in the boundary area of the mosque, they are unprotected.
Apart from this, several renovation works including the boundary wall and dome of the mosque are pending. The locals are demanding the mosque be completely renovated as soon as possible.
Syed Jonayed Akbar, vice-president of the Tentulia Shahi Mosque Management Committee, said that several renovation works including painting work have already been done under the Department of Archaeology.
He requested the concerned officials of the Conservation Department to take steps about remaining works.
The easiest way to visit the Tentulia Shahi Mosque is to get off at Noapara Bazar on the Satkhira-Khulna highway and take a van Tentulia Bazar located in 3 km east or get off at Atharmail Bazar on the Satkhira-Khulna highway and go 4 km south by bus or van. Then the historic Tentulia Shahi Jame Mosque will be visible.
