Imams, Khatibs and Priests to be in District Law and Order Committees

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has announced that Imams, Khatibs or religious leaders will be members of the District Council Law and Order Committee. He made this announcement in his inaugural address at the felicitation ceremony of Imams, Muazzins, Khadems, Priests, Sebayet and Bihar Pradhans at the Osmani Smriti Auditorium in the capital today (March 14) on Saturday.
The Prime Minister said that there are some people in the society whom people spontaneously respect and from whom they expect good advice in difficult times of life. Apart from the Imams-Khatibs and Muazzins of Islam, priests, Sebayet and Bihar Pradhans of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian religions were present at today’s ceremony.
Referring to the various social security programmes of the government, the Prime Minister said that the government has started working to implement the promises made to the people before the elections. ‘Family Card’ has already been introduced for economically backward women. ‘Krishak Card’ or ‘Krishak Card’ will be launched from Pahela Baishakh on April 14. Also, the canal digging program will start from Dinajpur on March 16.
Addressing religious leaders, the Prime Minister said that the government wants to establish the country on a solid foundation that ensures political and economic empowerment of citizens, so that no fascist force can take away the freedom of the people in the future.
She said that the state can never be strong by keeping the citizens weak. The government will use the maximum state power to ensure the social and economic security of every citizen, regardless of religion or caste. At the same time, she called on the citizens to play a responsible role towards the state and society.
Noting that there are about 3,50,000 mosques in the country, the Prime Minister said that it is possible to develop these mosques as centers for religious, social and moral education activities. She recalled that the ‘Imam Training Academy’ was launched for the first time in the country during the rule of late President Ziaur Rahman and the ‘Mosque-Based Children and Mass Education’ program was launched in 1993 during the Khaleda Zia government.
Regarding the government’s new program, she said, “In the first phase, a total of 16,992 religious leaders from 4,908 mosques, 990 temples and 144 Buddhist monasteries in the country are receiving monthly honorarium under the pilot project. Everyone will be brought under this program in phases.” Addressing religious leaders, the Prime Minister also said that if anyone wants to be involved in economic or social activities along with performing duties at places of worship, the government is ready to cooperate in that regard.