AGENCIES / DHAKA
Bangladesh government has decided to set up 560 model mosques and Islamic cultural centres in districts and upzilas across the country.
Speaking after laying the foundation stone of District Model Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre at Meherpur Court Road on Friday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said that these centres will have a library and arrangement for Quran recitation in them.
Earlier on Thursday State Minister for Religious Affairs Al Haj Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah said that construction of the model mosques is a priority project of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He said work order for 462 mosques has already been issued.
The project for the construction of 560 model mosques at a cost of Tk 8,722 crore was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on April 2017. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the project in April 2018.
The government has also taken up the repair work of 1812 temples across the country including the historic Dhakeshwari temple in Dhaka at an estimated cost of Tk 228 crore.
Government of Bangladesh intends to make the model mosques centres for preaching “accurate and correct” information of Islam to prevent militancy and extremism being spread in the name of religion.