Prime Minister Distributes Monthly Allowance Checks to Imams, Muezzins, and Priests in Pilot Program

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated a pilot program to provide monthly allowances to religious leaders across the country, including imams, muezzins, and priests, during a ceremony held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Saturday morning.

The initiative aims to support personnel in approximately 6,500 religious institutions, including mosques, temples, Buddhist viharas, and churches. The program will distribute allowances to 4,908 personnel from mosques, 990 temple priests, 144 Buddhist monastery heads, and 396 church clergy, along with other responsible individuals at these institutions.

Under the pilot program, each mosque will receive a total monthly allowance of 10,000 BDT, allocated as follows:

Imam: 5,000 BDT

Muezzin: 3,000 BDT

Khadim (Mosque servant): 2,000 BDT

For each temple, a total of 8,000 BDT will be provided, distributed as:

Priest: 5,000 BDT

Servitor: 3,000 BDT

Officials clarified that Catholic priests, following their religious doctrine which prohibits accepting honoraria, have declined the government allowance. However, they requested increased government support for Christian development programs. Clergy outside the Catholic tradition who wish to receive the allowance are permitted to do so.

The government’s Ministry of Public Administration stated that this pilot program is part of ongoing efforts to support religious leaders in their respective communities and ensure the proper functioning of worship and religious services throughout the country.