Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate a government programme to provide monthly allowances to imams and muezzins of mosques across the country on March 14.

Prime Minister’s Adviser for Public Administration Md Ismail Zabiullah disclosed the matter while talking to journalists at the Religious Affairs Minister’s office in the Bangladesh Secretariat here today.

He said that introducing an honorarium and training-based welfare system for religious leaders of all places of worship of all faiths to strengthen religious and social harmony was one of the election pledges of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Since the current government formed under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, steps have been taken one after another to implement the key promises of the election manifesto, the adviser said, adding, initiatives like Family Card and Farmer’s Card have already been discussed and are part of those flagship commitments.

As part of implementing these pledges, Zabiullah said, the government has taken initiatives to introduce a monthly honorarium for imams, muezzins and khadems in mosques and individuals working in other places of worship.

In the first phase, he said, the government will launch the programme under a pilot scheme before the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.

Under the scheme, one mosque from each union and municipality has been selected, totaling 4,908 mosques while for other places of worship, two temples from each upazila have been selected, totaling 990 temples, the adviser added.

Besides, as there are Buddhist monasteries in 72 upazilas, two from each upazila have been selected, totaling 144 Buddhist monasteries, he said, adding, likewise, since churches exist in 198 upazilas, two from each have been chosen, totaling 396 churches under the programme.

Zabiullah said that under the pilot scheme the monthly allowances have been fixed as follows: Taka 5,000 for Imam, Taka 3,000 for Muezzin and Taka 2,000 for Khadem, meaning, each mosque will receive Tk 10,000 per month in total.

For other religious institutions, the allowance structure will be Taka 5,000 for temple priest, Taka 3,000 Sebayet (temple caretaker), Taka 5,000 for head monk of Buddhist monastery, Taka 3,000 for assistant monk, Taka 5,000 for Church priest and Taka 3,000 for assistant priest, he said, adding, each temple, Buddhist monastery and church will receive Taka 8,000 per month under the programme.

The adviser also said that Imams, muezzins and khadems will receive Taka 1,000 each during Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha as festival allowance every year, while priests, sebayets, head monks, assistant monks, church priests and assistant priests will receive Taka 2,000 each during Durga Puja, Buddha Purnima and Christmas.

Zabiullah said Taka 27.13 crore will be required in the current fiscal year to implement the programme, adding, the allowance will be sent to the selected beneficiaries through Sonali Bank by March 15.

Noting that the money will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts, he said, “This system leaves no scope for corruption”.