The government has taken an initiative to introduce an honorarium for religious leaders and staff serving at various places of worship, including imams, muezzins, and caretakers.
The program will be formally inaugurated on March 14 by Prime Minister Tareq Rahman, officials said.
The announcement was made on Sunday (March 8) during a press briefing on the introduction of an honorarium and training-based welfare system for imams, muezzins, caretakers, and other staff working in places of worship. The briefing was addressed by Public Administration Ministry Adviser Md. Ismail Zabiullah.
He said the initiative will initially be implemented under a pilot project, with Tk 10,000 allocated for each mosque. Under the distribution structure, imams will receive Tk 5,000, muezzins Tk 3,000, and caretakers Tk 2,000.
A similar allocation structure has been set for other religious institutions.
For Hindu temples, Tk 8,000 will be allocated, of which priests will receive Tk 5,000 and caretakers Tk 3,000.
For Buddhist monasteries, Tk 8,000 has also been fixed, where the head monk will receive Tk 5,000 and the deputy monk Tk 3,000.
Similarly, Christian churches will receive Tk 8,000, with pastors or priests getting Tk 5,000 and assistant pastors or priests Tk 3,000.
Speaking at the briefing, Zabiullah said:
“Each mosque will receive Tk 10,000 under the pilot project. The imam will get Tk 5,000, the muezzin Tk 3,000, and the caretaker Tk 2,000.”
He further added:
“Funds will be distributed through banks, and the facility will gradually be expanded to all places of worship across the country.”
In addition to the monthly honorarium, the government will also provide festival bonuses.
Personnel working in mosques will receive Tk 1,000 each during Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha, meaning two bonuses annually.
Meanwhile, staff at other places of worship will receive Tk 2,000 during major religious festivals, such as Durga Puja, Buddha Purnima, and Christmas.
However, mosques that already receive government funding or grants from domestic or foreign organisations will not be eligible for this scheme.
According to the adviser, the government will require around Tk 27 crore 57 lakh to implement the programme from March to June in the current fiscal year.
The honorarium will be distributed through the banking system, and authorities plan to gradually expand the programme to cover all religious institutions across the country.
