Hasina inaugurates 50 mosques to project ‘true meaning’ of Islam

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated 50 model mosques as part of a government initiative to build 560 such structures across the country to promote and disseminate the teachings of Islam.

“The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman worked to publicise and disseminate Islam,” she said in a video conference call from her official residence Ganabhaban on Thursday. “He founded the Islamic Foundation to advocate Islam, so that people can learn its main precepts, gain knowledge of the religion and promote it and we are continuing that work.”

The project will build a model mosque and an Islamic cultural centre in every district centre and upazila, she said.

The project is a way to preach the ‘true meaning’ of Islam, its brotherhood and its values and stand against extremism and militancy, the prime minister said.

“These mosques will also play a role in fighting terrorism and raise public awareness about the prevention of violence against women.”

“It is the first time in the world that a government has built so many mosques at the same time,” said project director Md Nojibur Rahman.

The construction of the mosques and cultural centres is proceeding apace, he said. Another 100 mosques will be inaugurated within the next fiscal year.

Each of the model mosques will feature one minaret.

The project is about 36 percent complete, he said.

“We hope the construction of all 560 model mosques will be completed within the next two years.”

The government has allocated Tk 87.22 billion to the project, one of Hasina’s promises during the 2014 general election.

The mosques and cultural centres will feature a whole host of amenities including separate spaces for men and women to pray and complete Wudu, a library, a research centre, an Islamic bookstore, a Quran Hifaz division, children’s education, a guesthouse, housing for foreign visitors, a bath for the preparation of the dead, registration and training for hajj pilgrims, training for imams, autism centres and mass education centres.

The new mosques will allow 494,200 men and 31,400 women to pray together across the country.

In addition to the mosques, the government has also allocated funds to build temples, churches and pagodas for devotees of other religions.