At the Pagla Mosque in Kishoreganj, visitors often donate money and gold ornaments to the mosque’s donation boxes with the hope of fulfilling their wishes. Alongside these offerings, some people also leave handwritten notes expressing their desires.

Following tradition, the donation boxes of Pagla Mosque were opened this Saturday morning after four months. A total of 32 sacks of cash, along with a large amount of gold jewelry and foreign currency, were collected. In addition, one sack contained handwritten notes.

The notes revealed a mix of political and personal wishes. One note read, “O Pagla Baba, by the blessings of your prayers, we do not want elections. We need the Yunus government. Please pray that elections do not take place. With prayers, the general public.” Another note expressed support for the Prime Minister, stating, “Sheikh Hasina will come, Bangladesh will rejoice. Sheikh Hasina will return to Bangladesh as a hero. Jai Bangla, Jai Bangabandhu.”

Some notes contained personal wishes as well. One individual wrote, “O Allah, if the woman in my heart is destined to be with me, please arrange our marriage as soon as possible. If she is not, grant me the ability to forget her.” Another note read, “I do not know if I am on the right path. You are the all-knowing. I only ask that the person I have been thinking about in the same way for five years, if she is destined for me, please make it happen without any humiliation. Otherwise, give me the strength to forget her. Ameen.”

Most of the notes were anonymous. Compared to previous occasions, very few notes included names or addresses. Mosque authorities explained that finding notes in the donation boxes is common each time they are opened, but this time the number of notes was higher than usual. Alongside 32 sacks of cash, nearly one sack contained handwritten notes.

The donation boxes are already filled regularly, and to accommodate more, the mosque has increased the number of boxes to 13. However, the notes take up space, making it difficult for some visitors to place their donations. These anonymous notes sometimes go viral online, attracting jokes and criticism. This time, the collected notes were gathered into a single sack and sealed to prevent disruption.

Every day, people from across the country visit Pagla Mosque to make donations, believing that offering here brings their wishes to fruition.