The government of Saudi Arabia will provide Tk244 crore in grants for the construction of eight "iconic" mosques in Bangladesh.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ambassador Dr Abdullah Zafer H bin Abiyah revealed this on Sunday when he paid a courtesy call on Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain at the latter’s secretariat office, according to a press release.
Khalid said construction of the iconic mosques, with Saudi funding, will begin as soon as possible.
“Proposals for land have already been received from several divisions, and discussions are ongoing with relevant authorities regarding the remaining locations,” he added.
Mentioning the deep-rooted and friendly relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, he said that currently, approximately 3.2 million Bangladeshis reside in Saudi Arabia, contributing significantly to the country’s development through remittances.
“Likewise, Bangladeshi workers are playing an important role in achieving Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030,” he added.
The adviser expressed optimism that the relationship between the two nations will grow even stronger in the coming years.
He also thanked the Saudi government and its Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for this year’s smooth and efficient Hajj management.
At the same time, he raised several issues for consideration regarding next year’s Hajj arrangements.
These included increasing the number of washrooms in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah; ensuring an uninterrupted water and electricity supply; and increasing the size of beds in Mina tents.
The adviser requested the Saudi ambassador to draw his government’s attention to these issues.
The ambassador assured the adviser that he will inform his government and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah about the proposals.
He also pledged to play a role in enhancing Saudi Arabia’s development cooperation with Bangladesh.
During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to further strengthen and expand the existing bilateral relations.
Additional topics included the implementation of RFID tags for Hajj pilgrims’ luggage, the establishment of an Arabic language institute in Dhaka, and other matters of mutual interest.