Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain on Sunday requested the mosque committees to pay salaries and allowances to imams and khatibs as per the national pay scale.
He made this request to private mosque committees while speaking as the chief guest at the imam-khatib conference at Comilla Town Hall Maidan in Comilla on Sunday morning.
The conference was organized by Shane Sahaba Jatiyo Khatib Foundation, Comilla district, and metropolitan units.
The religious affairs adviser said there are about 3.5 lakh mosques in the country and all those, except six mosques, are run privately by communities.
"These mosque committees sometimes do not show justice to the imams and khatibs. On the other hand, some mosque committees respect the imams, pay reasonable salaries and even give incentives when they go on retirement," he said, expressing gratitude to such private mosque committees.
Khalid Hossain said that if the imams and khatibs are disrespected, the people of the society will not have respect.
"To uphold the interests of the imams and khatibs, the mosque management policy is being updated. We have talked to various stakeholders and taken their opinions. It is in the final stage. It will be gazetted very soon," he said.
Mentioning that many programs are underway for the welfare of the imams and khatibs, the adviser said there is a policy for the model mosques and Islamic cultural centres to be built by the government.
The salary of the imams and khatibs and khadems is very poor, he said.
He hoped that a new policy for the model mosques would be formulated by increasing the salary and allowances of imams and khatibs during the tenure of the interim government.
The adviser also assured of providing support for the sick, poor and distressed imams and khatibs.
He urged imams and khatibs to talk on issues related to public interest before the Jummah sermon, as devotees should be made aware of various social problems, especially drug addiction, dowry, corruption, interest, bribery, justice and injustice, biodiversity conservation and juvenile gangs.
Khalid Hossain also requested all not to create divisions among imams and khatibs.
Chairman of Shane Sahaba Jatiyo Khatib Foundation Shaykh Mufti Shamim Mojumder spoke at the conference as the main speaker, with Central Joint Secretary General of Shane Sahaba Jatiyo Khatib Foundation and its Comilla Metropolitan President Shaykh Abdullah Al Mamun Mustafi, in the chair.
Later, the religious affairs adviser attended the inauguration ceremony of Laksam Upazila Model Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre in Comilla as the chief guest and unveiled the inaugural plaque of the mosque.
