Model Mosque Management Policy-26 issued with new guidelines.
The government has issued the 'Model Mosque Management Policy-26' to ensure that model mosques serve not only as places of worship but also as centres of religious education, public awareness and social welfare activities.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs issued the gazette notification on September 24.
The policy outlines guidelines for the management of model mosques, recruitment of personnel, payment of salaries and honorariums, religious education programmes, financial management, discipline and security.
Under the policy, a Pesh Imam of a model mosque will receive a monthly honorarium of Tk 20,000, while a Muezzin will get Tk 15,000 and a Khadem Tk 12,000. The honorariums of Khatibs and security guards will be fixed on a contractual basis.
However, mosque committees with sufficient financial capacity may provide salaries and allowances to personnel according to the prescribed pay grades under the 'Mosque Management Policy-26'.
The post of Imam has been placed under Grade-10, while the posts of Muezzin and Khadem have been placed under Grade-16 and Grade-18 respectively. The posts of Khatib and security guard will remain contractual.
The policy requires Khatibs and other personnel working at model mosques to perform their duties as custodians of the mosques with trustworthiness, honesty, piety and sincerity.
They will not be allowed to actively participate in the activities of any political party and will not be permitted to leave their workplaces without authorised leave.
The policy also includes provisions for festival allowances on Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha. Personnel mentioned in Article 7 may receive a festival allowance equivalent to their honorarium for the month preceding the respective Eid.
Under the new policy, committees will be formed at city, district and upazila levels to conduct and manage mosque-based religious education programmes.
Model mosques are expected to arrange Quran education, adult education, hifz programmes and maktab education for children.
The mosque management committees will be responsible for arranging Friday prayers, pre-khutba and khutba sessions, the five daily prayers, Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha prayers and funeral prayers.
During Ramadan, the committees will arrange the appointment and accommodation of huffaz to lead Tarawih prayers.
The management committees must ensure the sanctity, discipline, security and cleanliness of the mosques. They will also undertake necessary development and renovation work, prepare and implement annual work plans and prepare budgets.
The committees will maintain and supervise records of mosque income and expenditure, as well as cash and movable and immovable assets.
The policy requires the committees to maintain meeting minutes and attendance records, conduct annual audits of accounts and undertake income-generating activities for the mosques.
It also stipulates that all mosque income must be deposited into the mosque's bank account within a maximum of seven days.
In addition, the mosque management committees will organise prayers, supplications and religious programmes on special days declared by the government.
