No Eid Prayer On Kolkata’s Red Road This Year, Army Says Venue Needed For ‘Military Purpose’

The Indian Army prohibited the holding of Eid-Ul-Zuha Namaz on Red Road—a customary site for the occasion—situated in front of its Eastern Command Headquarters at Fort William, stating “military purpose” as the justification.

The Army has also notified the Kolkata Police and the Calcutta Khilafat Committee—the organizers of the yearly Muslim gathering that attracts significant audiences—of its decision.

“The permission for conduct of congregational prayer for “Eid-Uz-Zoha” in general area Red Road on 07th or 08th June 2025 is not granted as the area is required for military purpose,” said a Colonel-rank Army officer in charge of land under the Headquarters Bengal Sub Area in a letter addressed to the Calcutta Khilafat Committee.

As in prior years, the Calcutta Khilafat Committee requested permission from the Army on May 10 to conduct the Namaz from the Netaji Statue to the outer entrance of the East Gate of Fort William on Red Road. On Saturday, the forum got a reply from the Army. Javed Ahmed Khan, the Minister for State Disaster Management and a member of the Calcutta Khilafat Committee, stated that his group received a letter from the Army.

Importantly, West Bengal’s Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has attended and spoken at Eid events on Red Road, a historic location that has been holding Eid prayers for many years.