United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday inaugurated a programme to provide monthly allowances to imams, muazzins  and other religious leaders, fulfilling one of the key electoral pledges of BNP. The programme was inaugurated  at a ceremony held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the morning, according to BNP media cell.  The government also launched similar allowance programmes for priests and temple caretakers as well as for Buddhist monastery principals and vice-principals. On January 21, the government issued a gazette on the Mosque Management Policy 2025 introducing a structured pay scale, service benefits, recruitment rules and welfare provisions for mosque employees in the country. Under the new policy, a grade-based salary structure has been fixed for mosque employees excluding khatibs whose remuneration will be determined according to contract terms. However, financially insolvent and mosques where 5-time prayers held have been advised to fix salaries and allowances according to their capacity. Padma Bridge rail link: Narail commuters face long waits as only one train runs on key routes As per the new policy, senior pesh imams will receive salaries in Grade 5, pesh imams in Grade 6 and imams in Grade 9. The chief muezzin will be paid in Grade 10, muezzin in Grade 11, chief khadem in Grade 15 and khadem in Grade 16.

The government will launch a welfare programme providing honorariums and training for imams, muazzins, khadems and other staff working at mosques and different places of worship from March 14. Md Ismail Zabihullah, adviser to the Prime Minister and President of the cell formed to implement the programme, announced this at a press briefing at the Secretariat on Sunday. Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain was also present at the briefing. Under the initiative, a monthly allocation of Tk 10,000 will be provided for mosques. Of this amount, imams will receive Tk 5,000, muezzins Tk 3,000 and khadems Tk 2,000. For temples, Buddhist monasteries and churches, the monthly allocation will be Tk 8,000. In temples, priests will receive Tk 5,000 and caretakers Tk 3,000. In Buddhist monasteries, the principal will receive Tk 5,000 and the deputy principal Tk 3,000. In churches, priests will receive Tk 5,000 while assistant priests will get Tk 3,000.