A government-built model mosque in Chuadanga, constructed at a cost of Tk14.5 crore, has developed structural problems within five years of completion, while an unpaid electricity bill of about Tk9 lakh has added to concerns over its upkeep.
Local worshippers allege irregularities in the construction of the Chuadanga District Model Mosque, which was built by the Public Works Department under a national programme launched in 2017 to establish 560 model mosques across Bangladesh as centres for Islamic practice and social activities.
The mosque, completed on 17 June 2021 at a cost of Tk14 crore 55 lakh, is now showing visible signs of deterioration.
Tiles have come loose in different parts of the building, while leakage from pipelines has caused plaster and paint to peel from the walls.
Security arrangements have also broken down.
All 30 CCTV cameras installed at the mosque are no longer functioning, and worshippers say repeated thefts of equipment have taken place in the absence of proper monitoring.
The mosque has no security guard, they said.
Authorities have so far paid only Tk50,000 towards the electricity bill, leaving arrears of about Tk9 lakh.
Officials say the power supply may be disconnected if the outstanding amount is not cleared soon.
The mosque falls under the supervision of the Islamic Foundation, but complaints from worshippers suggest management and maintenance problems have persisted.
Several worshippers said that despite the presence of two caretakers, the bathrooms are often left unclean.
They said wall tiles are falling off, rubbish has piled up in front of the building and the CCTV system has remained out of order for nearly a year.
They also said taps from the mosque’s bathrooms are frequently stolen because of weak security.
Sources said all 30 original cameras are damaged.
The Islamic Foundation later installed four additional CCTV cameras with its own funds, but those are considered insufficient to ensure proper coverage of the mosque premises.
Muezzin Md Monjur Rahman said most of the taps in the bathrooms had already been stolen.
“It is difficult to keep track of these things without a security guard,” he said.
“We recently repaired several pipelines using our own funds.”
He also said waste from the municipality is often dumped in front of the mosque, causing environmental pollution and making it difficult for local worshippers to come for prayers.
Local worshipper Shaheen Akter said the condition of the building appeared to reflect flaws in the construction process.
“We are worried about security as the cameras have been out of order for a long time,” he said.
Islamic Foundation Deputy Director AKM Shaheen Kabir said the mosque had been constructed under the supervision of the Public Works Department and that full responsibility had not effectively been transferred to his organisation.
“The mosque was handed over to us without full responsibility being transferred. It is still technically under the Public Works Department,” he said.
He said the Islamic Foundation installed four CCTV cameras with its own funds after the original system became unusable.
“After the inauguration, we paid Tk50,000 of the electricity bill once. Around Tk9 lakh remains unpaid, which will be cleared once funds are allocated,” he said.
Public Works Department Executive Engineer Md Mohsin said the Chuadanga Model Mosque was inaugurated in 2022 and formally handed over to the Islamic Foundation in 2024.
He said the mosque had been built under a Ministry of Religious Affairs project and the Public Works Department did not receive a separate budget for repairs or routine maintenance.
“We only implement the project. Regular maintenance of model mosques is supposed to be covered from mosque income,” he said.
He added that salaries of the imam and muezzin are also supposed to be paid from that income.
According to Mohsin, the department bore repair costs until one year before the handover, but after the transfer responsibility for maintenance no longer remained with the Public Works Department.
Local worshippers have demanded immediate repair of the CCTV system, replacement of the damaged tiles and regular cleaning and maintenance of the mosque.
