Local Government and Rural Development Division (LGRD) and Religious Affairs Ministry are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today aimed at constructing 560 model mosques and Islamic Cultural Centres across the country.
“The MoU signing ceremony will be held at LGRD ministry conference room at 10 am, said an official press release.
The model mosques and Islamic Cultural Centres will be constructed in each district and upazila of the country and under the MoU, the Religious Affairs Ministry will be facilitated to construct model mosques and Islamic Cultural Centres on the land of Upazila Parisad under the Local Government and Rural Development Division, it said.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister M Tajul Islam will witness the MoU signing ceremony as the chief guest, while State Minister for Religious Affairs Alhaj Advocate Sheikh Md Abdullah will present as the special guest.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid foundation stone of nine mosques through video conference on April 5, 2018.
Besides, the government repaired and improved 21,000 mosques and religious establishments along with building 170 feet height minaret and expanded female prayer room of Baitul Mokarram National Mosque during the last 10 years.
“With expansion work of female prayer rooms of Baitul Mokarram National Mosque, 5,600 female can perform prayers at a time and 21,000 mosques and religious organizations repaired and improved,” an official of the religious affairs ministry said.
According to Planning Ministry information, the model mosques would preach “accurate and correct” information of Islam across the country and prevent militancy, violence towards women and increase awareness.
The government, it said, created 80,000 employment facilities for Alem-Olema by allocating Taka 1,500 crore for mosque based child education and mass education across the country.
Some 96 lakh and 16 thousand students have been getting education facilities through mosque based education, the information said.
The government also distributed four lakh holy Quran among mosque based students and introduced honours course to 80 madrasas. The government set up 28,000 libraries in mosque and established 100,000 mosque based maktab (Islamic elementary school), it said.
