Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday said he would direct the ministry to initiate a comprehensive investigation into total expenditure, and exact number of mosques constructed under the Model Mosque project.
He made the announcement during a session of the National Parliament while responding to a supplementary question from veteran Member of Parliament (MP) Zainul Abdin Farroque. The session was presided over by Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal.
Salahuddin, speaking on behalf of the Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, characterised the financial irregularities as a “heinous act” committed in the name of Islam.
Addressing Zainul Abdin Farroque as a “veteran member” with vast experience, Salahuddin stated that the inquiry would examine mosque-wise expenditure to determine how construction costs rose significantly.
During the session, MP Zainul Abdin Farroque argued against the necessity of new mosques at this time, calling instead for an investigation into how costs for previous mosques escalated from Tk13 crore to Tk21 crore.
He highlighted the dilapidated state of existing structures, specifically noting that the mosque in Senbagh is currently unusable due to water leakage.
Corroborating these concerns, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal shared a “dreadful” situation in his constituency, Durgapur. He described a Model Mosque built behind a massive pond, requiring a bridge for access.
Local residents have mockingly dubbed the structure “Taj Mahal” because of its reflection in the water, though the building remains inaccessible and unusable.
In his response, the home minister alleged that during the tenure of the previous “Awami fascist regime,” various projects were designed for the purpose of looting public funds.
He argued that corruption was embedded within the initial estimates before projects even commenced, which subsequently led to further cost escalations and time extensions.
While clarifying that he was not suggesting that corruption on the scale of the Padma Bridge had occurred in this instance, Salahuddin referenced the “White Paper” published by Debapriya Bhattacharya to illustrate how “mega budgets” were created to facilitate “mega corruption.”
He noted that he had previously raised this issue during a recent budget speech, pointing out that project durations were frequently extended from five to seven years to allow for multiple cost increases.
“How the cost increased from Tk13 crore to Tk21 crore, what the total project expenditure was, and the mosque-wise breakdown – I will direct the ministry today to conduct a full investigation,” Salahuddin stated, adding that other government agencies might also be involved in the probe.
