In Kolkata on December 11, LatestNewsX reported that the West Bengal Islamic Foundation of India—created by the now‑suspended Trinamool Congress leader Humayun Kabir to build a proposed Babri Mosque in Beldanga, Murshidabad—has amassed a total of ₹3.50 crore in donations.
Cash collectors finished the manual count of the 11 trunks of currency that had been gathered on Wednesday night. A close aide of Kabir confirmed that the total came to ₹87 lakh. Meanwhile, the trust’s online channel, which uses the “QR code”, had already received ₹2.63 crore by the same night.
From Sunday afternoon through the evening, four donation boxes were counted, revealing ₹37,33,000 in cash. Monday afternoon brought a new round of counting, now with machines, and by Tuesday the remaining seven boxes were processed. In all, ₹38,34,000 had been found in the boxes, bringing the combined total from the 11 boxes and an additional sack to ₹75,67,523. Further contributions on Wednesday added almost another ₹11 lakh, placing the cash total roughly at ₹87 lakh.
Separately, the trust’s designated bank account—tied to the “QR code”—has seen deposits of ₹2,62,00,000 so far. Sources close to Kabir say that daily donations continue to swell, with several sizeable contributors keeping their names private.
Kabir’s enthusiasm for the project has outstripped expectations, prompting the trust’s leadership to move quickly to transfer the collected cash into the bank account. To maintain transparency, the whole counting process was broadcast live. A dedicated storage facility is also being arranged, complete with CCTV and other security measures, to guard the money.
The initiative sparked controversy when Kabir decided to lay a foundation stone for a mosque styled after the Babri Masjid in Beldanga. Despite being suspended by the Trinamool Congress on December 4 for anti‑party activities, he laid the stone two days later, on December 6. He has announced that construction will begin in the first week of February, with the Quran recited by one lakh voices the day before work starts.
In response, a Public Interest Litigation was filed with the Calcutta High Court at the end of the week, seeking an order to halt the mosque’s construction. The court is expected to hear the case next week.
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