The government is currently providing monthly honourariums to 12,810 Imams, Muazzins, and Khadems as part of the implementation of its election pledges, Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain (Kaikobad) informed Parliament on Thursday.
The minister stated that the Islamic Foundation is implementing the “Mosque-based Child and Mass Literacy Programme (Phase 8)” to facilitate this. He further noted that a proposal to increase the number of education centres would be considered in a revised project plan.
Minister Kaykobad shared these details during a question-and-answer session presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad. Replying to a query from Md Majedur Rahman, Member of Parliament (MP) for Gaibandha-1, the minister admitted that the government does not possess a specific count of all Imams and Muazzins currently working in the country.
However, based on 2020 data recording 331,125 mosques, the combined number of Imams and Muazzins is estimated to be approximately 662,250.
In response to a question from Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan (MP, Sirajganj-4), the minister detailed the progress of the Model Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre project. He announced that construction of 342 model mosques has already been completed, while 186 are currently under construction. The government expects the remaining work to be finished by June 2028.
Addressing a query from Reserved Seats MP Rokeya Begum, the minister outlined various programmes aimed at increasing religious values, moral education, and anti-militancy awareness among women and youth. These initiatives include training, seminars, and workshops conducted by religious leaders, Imams, Khatibs, and teachers to promote messages of tolerance and humanitarian values.
The minister also highlighted the activities of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust, noting that 7,400 temple-based child and mass literacy centres are operational across the country. Training programmes for priests and temple caretakers are also ongoing, while the sixth phase of the temple-based literacy programme is scheduled to conclude on June 30.
Replying to Syed Jainul Abedin (MP, Dhaka-4), minister Kaykobad announced that teachers involved in the mosque-based education programme currently receive a monthly honourarium of 6,000 taka. This amount is set to be increased in phases to 7,500 taka by the 2029-30 fiscal year.
The minister also addressed the issue of illegally occupied Waqf property, stating that initiatives involving registration, court proceedings, and eviction drives by district administrations have been launched.
Over the past year, activities were conducted to recover 151.1795 acres of Waqf land. However, specific data regarding the total amount of recovered Waqf or Hindu Debottar property was not presented.
