Patna: The Bihar government has allocated a budget of Rs 29.78 crore for the restoration and reconstruction of the Azizia Madrasa and its library, which is of significant historical importance. Situated in Murarpur village within the Patna district, this Islamic educational institution suffered severe damage when it was set on fire by a Hindutva mob during the Ram Navami festival on March 31st.
Taking to X, deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav shared a video of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar assuring compensation for the Madrasa and action against “hatemongers” who attacked the religious institution.
“Some miscreants involved in the Ram Navami Shobha Yatra procession had set on fire the famous 125-year-old historical Azizia Madrasa of Bihar Sharif which had a huge library of 4,500 books. The Bihar government has sanctioned Rs 29.78 crore for its reconstruction (sic).”
The ancient Azizia Madrasa, housing a valuable library of rare manuscripts, fell victim to an act of violence on March 31st this year during a Ram Navami procession. A mob, chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogans, forcibly entered the institution, subjected it to vandalism, set the premises ablaze, and even assaulted the imam. According to the imam, the mob also pelted stones at the Madrasa.
Established in 1895 by philanthropist Bibi Soghra in memory of her late husband Shaikh Abdul Aziz, this madrasa held a special place in Bihar’s history, being one of the two oldest madrasas in the state—the other being Madrasa Shamsul Huda. Since its inception in 1896, the madrasa had been functioning independently. In 1910, it was relocated to a new campus spanning approximately 3 acres of land.
