Govt plans 560 model mosques to spread Islamic values

The government has initiated a move to set up some 560 model mosques across the country, aiming to develop and spread the Islamic values and culture.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) is likely to consider a project to this end at tomorrow's meeting, with an estimated cost of Tk 9,062 crore, said a Planning Commission official.

Of the total project cost, Saudi Arabia will provide Tk 8,000 crore as grant while the rest will come from the national exchequer, the official told the news agency wishing to remain anonymous.

The Bangladesh Islamic Foundation will implement the project under which the model mosques-cum-Islamic cultural centres will be set up in all the districts, city corporations and upazila areas.

During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Saudi Arabia in 2016, the Kingdom promised to provide assistance to Bangladesh for building mosque-cum-Islamic cultural centres in all upazilas of Bangladesh.

Under the project, according to the official, model mosques in some 64 districts and 16 coastal areas will have four-storey buildings, and the rest three-storey ones. In these mosques, some 4.4 lakh men and 31,400 women will be able to offer prayers every day.

The model mosques will be built in three categories -- A, B, and C. Under category A, some 68 four-storey mosques having the elevator facility will be constructed in 64 districts, and four city corporation areas with an overall floor space of 2,81,584 square metres.

Under category B, 476 mosques will be built with a total floor space of 64,742 square metres, while 16 under C category will have a floor space of 61,025 square metres.

Another official at the Ministry of Religious Affairs said these mosques would have library facilities, where some 34,000 people would be able to read the Holy Quran and other Islamic books simultaneously.

Besides, there will be arrangements for conducting research on Islamic affairs for some 6,800 people, while some 56,000 people will be able to offer doa and munajat, and count in tasbih round the clock in those mosques once the project is completed.

The ministry official told the news agency that there would be arrangements for imparting primary education to some 68,000 children every year apart from other religious affairs. Some 14,000 Hafez-e-Quran (people who memorise the whole Quran) will come out from these mosques every year, he added.

Besides, the official said, there would be arrangements for the accommodation of some 2,240 local and foreign guests alongside facility for digital registration of the holy hajj.