In the wake of the tragic loss of two of her daughters,^[4] Bangladeshi widow Sufia Khatun donated part of her land for the construction of a mosque.^[5] In 2005 she commissioned her granddaughter, architect Marina Tabassum, to design it.^[5] Community members initially used a temporary structure on the site for prayer, but when Khatun died, Tabassum was left as the sole fundraiser, designer, client, and builder of the project.^[4] Community donors provided most of the funding for the building.^[3]

The mosque was designed by Marina Tabassum, a female architect from Bangladesh.^[6] Known for designing the Museum of Independence in Dhaka, she is recognized as one of the country's top architects and one of only a few women architects in the country.^[7] In Bangladesh, it is unusual for a female to design a mosque – Bangladeshi women rarely even enter a mosque, praying instead at home, since few mosques have dedicated sections for women.^[8] Tabassum visited more than 100 mosques before designing Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, despite having hardly ever entered a mosque previously.^[7]

Bangladesh's rich mosque-building history dates back to the 13th century's Turkish invasion. The earliest mosques incorporated elements from local building traditions, such as small domes that span the roof and brick walls.^[9] The architect combined this unique traditional Sultanate mosque architecture^[10] with a modern approach to create a design that challenges the status quo.^[9]

The building is located in a flood-prone area,^[1] and is designed along an axis angled 13 degrees to the Qibla direction.^[11] To compensate for this angle, the building is raised on a plinth with a cylinder inside of a square.^[10] This allowed the designer to rotate the prayer hall to the correct direction and created light courts on four sides with room for other functions.^[11]

The mosque's prayer hall has no columns inside, instead relying on eight peripheral columns for support.^[12] Dozens of random, circular openings in the ceiling and walls allow natural light to enter the building, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow to enhance the spiritual atmosphere.^[12]

The small-footprint, one-storey building has no domes, minarets, or decorative panels, and fits in with its surroundings.^[13] Handmade terracotta brick walls^[13] provide natural ventilation, helping keep the building cool even on hot days.^[14] Without using the usual mosque symbolism,^[15] the architect created a space of spirituality with simplicity and the use of natural light prompting deep reflection and contemplation in prayer.^[3]

The building cost Sh 15 million and took five years to construct. Construction finished in 2012.^[16]

Although locals funded and use the building, visitors from across Bangladesh, including Chittagong and Sylhet, visit the Mosque. This includes devotees and architecture students.^[17]

The architect purposely reduced symbolism in her design to encourage the building's use for other social activities beyond prayer.^[18] Children are encouraged to play in the building, which is unusual for a mosque.^[19] The architect aimed to make the building a place of tranquility in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of one of the most crowded cities in the world,^[17] with "Breathing spaces" in and around the building providing a place for worshippers to socialize outside of prayer times.^[13] Throughout the day, children play and elderly men chat on the building's plinth.^[20]

The Bait Ur Rouf Mosque is unusual not only for being only one of two mosques in Bangladesh built by a woman^[17] but also for its environmentally-friendly design.^[18] The architecture pays tribute to lost mosque-building traditions^[17] and fits into the landscape of a country with a developing economy, which the architect believed was her social responsibility.^[21]

The Bait Ur Rouf Mosque was one of six winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016, along with the Friendship Centre in Gaibandha.^[22] This $1 million award, presented by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, recognizes architectural excellence in Muslim communities around the world.^[17] The award jury chose the mosque for pushing the boundaries of how a religious space should look^[1] and creating a design that elevates the spirit.^[2]

In 2018, the mosque was awarded the Jameel Prize from the Victoria and Albert Museum.^[23]