43 Sacks of Cash Recovered from Pagla Mosque Donation Boxes as Counting Begins

43 sacks of cash recovered from Pagla Mosque donation boxes; counting underway

A total of 43 sacks of cash were recovered after 13 donation boxes at the renowned Pagla Mosque in Kishoreganj were opened on Saturday.

The boxes were unlocked at 7:00am, six months after the previous collection, in the presence of officials from the district administration, police, and the mosque management committee.

The cash was moved in sacks to the mosque's second floor, where counting is now underway. More than 500 people are involved in the process, including around 100 officials and employees of Rupali Bank, about 350 students from Al Jamiatul Imdadia Madrasa and the Pagla Mosque orphanage and madrasa, members of the mosque management committee, and law enforcement personnel.

Officials expect the latest collection to surpass all previous records, as the donation boxes were opened after a six-month interval. The counting is being supervised by Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner and President of the Mosque Management Committee Sohana Nasrin and Additional Superintendent of Police Najmus Sakib Khan, with several senior district administration officials also overseeing the process.

Mohammad Ali Harichi, assistant general manager of Rupali Bank, said the donation boxes contained not only cash but also foreign currencies and gold and silver jewellery. He added that the counting is likely to continue until the evening or even late into the night.

Tight security arrangements have been put in place throughout the operation, with members of the Bangladesh Police, RAB, and Ansar deployed to guard the site.

Additional Superintendent of Police Najmus Sakib Khan said maximum security had been ensured at every stage of the operation—from opening the donation boxes and counting the money to depositing the funds in the bank. He added that the donation boxes remain under constant security throughout the year.

Situated on the banks of the Narsunda River in the Harua area, west of Kishoreganj town, Pagla Mosque receives donations from people of all faiths and backgrounds across Bangladesh. In addition to cash, devotees donate gold ornaments, livestock, poultry, and other valuables, all of which are recorded separately.

Deputy Commissioner Sohana Nasrin said that after meeting the mosque's operating expenses, the remaining funds are deposited in the bank. She noted that the mosque currently holds more than Tk 100 crore in direct donation deposits. Foreign currencies and a large quantity of gold ornaments are kept in the district treasury and will be auctioned publicly at an appropriate time, with the proceeds also deposited into the bank.