Dhaka, Mar 14 (V7N) — Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated a pilot program to provide monthly allowances to imams, muezzins, and priests of around 6,500 religious institutions across Bangladesh. The inauguration took place at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Saturday morning.

Under the program, honorariums will be provided to leaders of 4,908 mosques, 990 temples, 144 Buddhist monasteries, and 396 churches and other religious institutions, according to sources from the Ministry of Public Administration.

The allocations under the pilot project are as follows:

  • Mosques: Total 10,000 taka per mosque – imam 5,000 taka, muezzin 3,000 taka, khadem 2,000 taka.

  • Hindu temples: Total 8,000 taka – priest 5,000 taka, sevait 3,000 taka.

  • Buddhist monasteries: Total 8,000 taka – principal 5,000 taka, vice-principal 3,000 taka.

  • Christian churches: Total 8,000 taka – pastor/priest 5,000 taka, assistant pastor/priest 3,000 taka.

Meanwhile, church priests following the Catholic tradition have declined to receive allowances, citing religious restrictions on accepting honorariums. However, they welcomed increased government investment in development activities for Christianity and said they had no objection if Christian priests outside the Catholic tradition opted to receive the allowances.

END/SMA/AJ