A total of 87,309 religious institutions will come under the state honorarium program in the 2026-27 fiscal year, benefiting 2,56,074 religious leaders working at the institutions. Of the institutions, 82,656 are mosques, 3,000 temples, 752 Buddhist monasteries and 301 churches.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to inaugurate the program this month.
The decision was taken at a recent meeting of the cell formed to implement the government’s election manifesto to introduce a monthly honorarium and training-based welfare system for mosque imams, muezzins, khadems and other religious leaders of other faiths.
The meeting was chaired by PM’s Adviser on Public Administration and cell president Md Ismail Zabihullah.
In the 2026-27 fiscal year, 15 mosques will be selected from each union for the honorarium program.
In municipalities, four mosques will be selected from each ward of ‘A’ class municipalities, three from each ward of ‘B’ class municipalities and two from each ward of ‘C’ class municipalities. In addition, six mosques will be selected from each ward of a city corporation.
For temples, five will be selected from each upazila. Of these, two will be selected from each ward of ‘A’ class municipalities and one from each ward of other classes. The remaining temples will be selected at the union level.
The number of Buddhist monasteries and churches will be determined at a rate of 25% district-wise.
Under the program, each selected mosque imam, temple priest, Buddhist monastery principal and church priest will receive a monthly honorarium of Tk 5,000.
A mosque muezzin, temple serviceman, Buddhist monastery vice-principal and church assistant priest will receive Tk 3,000 each, while a mosque khadem will receive Tk 2,000 per month.
The honorarium will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts through electronic fund transfer (EFT).
In the current fiscal year, Tk 1,100 crore has been allocated to provide monthly honorariums to religious leaders working at mosques and other places of worship.