The BNP government is set to provide monthly honourariums to a total of 256,074 imams, muazzins, khadems, and personnel from various religious institutions during the current fiscal year.
The announcement was made by Md Ismail Zabiullah, public administration adviser to the prime minister, while presiding over the 7th meeting of a cell formed by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Religious Affairs conference room in the Bangladesh Secretariat, focused on implementing the government’s election manifesto to introduce monthly honourariums and training-based welfare for those working in mosques and other places of worship.
Budgetary allocation and phased implementation
Adviser Zabiullah said Tk1,100 crore has been allocated in the 2026-27 fiscal year budget for these payments.
In this first year, the programme will cover one-quarter of the country’s religious personnel, with a goal to achieve 100 per cent coverage of all religious institutions within the next four years.
The breakdown of beneficiaries for the current fiscal year includes 247,968 individuals from 82,656 mosques, 6,000 individuals from 3,000 temples, 1,504 individuals from 752 Buddhist viharas, and 602 individuals from 301 churches.
This represents a substantial expansion from the 2025-26 fiscal year, during which only 13,949 personnel from 6,017 selected religious institutions received honourariums.
Financial benefits and payment mechanisms
The Public Administration Adviser detailed the monthly honourarium rates, which include Tk5,000 for imams, Hindu priests, Buddhist vihara heads (Adhyaksha), and Christian clergy (Yajak).
A monthly sum of Tk3,000 will be provided to muazzins, Sebayets, deputy vihara heads (Upadhyaksha), and assistant clergy, while mosque khadems will receive Tk2,000. In addition to the monthly stipend, every beneficiary will receive an annual festival allowance of Tk2,000.
Payments will be made via mobile banking or direct bank transfer, according to the preference of the recipient.
The meeting was attended by Mir Shahe Alam, state minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives; Whip Mia Nuruddin Ahmmad Apu, lawmaker for Shariatpur-3; and Mohammad Shamim Kaiser, lawmaker for Gaibandha-4.
Also in attendance were the secretaries of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Social Welfare, director general of the Islamic Foundation, director general of NGO Affairs Bureau, and representatives from the Finance Division and the Local Government Division.
