The smoke and gas that ooze out of adjacent glass and lime factories directly affect the mosque's delicate frame. These factories have been established over the years clearly violating the Antiquity Act of 1968.

"According to the antiquity act no such factories can be constructed within a kilometre of the mosque. But it is now virtually surrounded by the factories and commercial buildings, " said director of the Department of Archaeology Dewan Delwar Hossain.

"Carbon-dioxide and carbon-monoxide that come out of the factories become sulphuric after they mix with other toxic acids and certain substances in the environment. It sticks to the mosque's wall and slowly damages the building," said Abdul Hakim, the chemist of the Department.

The Department could not measure the actual effect of the polluting fumes because of the lack of proper equipment. There is also an acute shortage of manpower to conduct survey. An official informed that only one surveyor is available for the entire country.

Although gas effect measuring equipment is available at the Met Office, the archaeology department apparently could not get past the red tape to acquire them.

"This is a pity that the archaeology department has no logistics to protect and preserve the heritage of the country," said Hakim.

The mosque came under the jurisdiction of the archaeological department as one of Dhaka's heritages. It is still open to devotees for prayers. Local residents have demonstrated for long against the illegal establishments near the mosque. They want to free the area from environmental pollution and also hope to save the mosque.

"The Department of Environment (DoE) also issued a month's ultimatum to the factories to relocate but nothing has happened," said a resident.

"We have filed a case for the relocation of these factories nearby, which is not only threatening the mosque, but polluting the environment as well," said deputy director of DoE Nur Alam Khan

Even Dhaka city Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka had reportedly instructed the police to evict the factories but the result has remained the same as the owners of the polluting industries decided to fight the matter in court.

"There is a stay order from the court in favour of the factory owners against eviction," said thearcheology department director.

The Sat Gombuj mosque was established during the rule of Shaista Khan in 1680.

The historic Taj Mahal in India too, faced the same situation with many industries coming up around it and threatening its existence, but the authorities took necessary action to stop the destruction of the building in time.