The century-old Urs Special Train from Rajbari is not going to India this year.

Daily Bijoy News, Rajbari Correspondent:

This year, due to visa complications, the Rajbari Urs Special Train could not take devotees to the 124th annual Urs Sharif at the Jora Mosque in Medinipur, West Bengal, India. The Bangladesh and Indian governments have jointly facilitated the operation of this Urs Special Train since 1902. However, despite completing all preparations this year, the train could not run due to visa issues, causing disappointment among the devotees. On Sunday evening (February 16), Abdur Rashid, the General Secretary of Rajbari Anjuman-e-Qadriyah, confirmed this information.

Previously, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Urs Special Train did not operate in 2021 and 2022. Every year, on the night of February 14, over 2,000 devotees from Rajbari, under the initiative of Rajbari Anjuman-e-Qadriyah, would travel to Medinipur, West Bengal, via this special train. Although they could not go to Medinipur for the Urs this year, Rajbari Anjuman-e-Qadriyah has organized a large-scale Urs Sharif ceremony at the Khanqa Sharif Mosque in Rajbari on Monday (February 17), coinciding with the Urs in Medinipur. They expect a gathering of around 25,000 to 30,000 devotees of all ages. All preparations for the Urs have already been completed.

It is known that the 124th Urs Sharif of Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA)'s descendant, Hazrat Al-Baghdadi Al-Medinipuri (AS), popularly known as 'Mawlapaak', will be held on February 17 at the Jora Mosque in Medinipur, West Bengal, India. Last year, under the initiative of Anjuman-e-Qadriyah, a total of 2,256 passengers, including 1,318 men, 853 women, and 85 children, traveled to Medinipur, West Bengal, on the Urs Special Train with 24 coaches. The departure of this special train would attract a crowd of 20,000 to 30,000 people at the railway station area. This year, however, there is no such event due to the train not running. Nevertheless, the Khanqa Sharif Mosque in Rajbari has been prepared for the Urs celebration.

Hafez Shahjahan, the former Imam of the Khanqa Sharif Mosque in Rajbari, stated that, like every year, the Urs Sharif has been organized at the Khanqa Sharif Mosque in Rajbari, aligning with the Urs in Medinipur, West Bengal. This year, devotees and followers who could not travel to West Bengal due to visa issues will participate in the Urs here. The Urs activities will begin after Maghrib prayers on Monday and continue throughout the night. The Urs Sharif will conclude with Qiyam, prayers, Fajr prayers, and the distribution of Tabaruk in the morning. Rajbari Railway Station Master Tannoy Kumar Dutta mentioned that no instructions were received this year to run the special train to West Bengal for the Urs.

Daily Bijoy News / Md Jahidur Rahim Molla