National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Organiser Sarjis Alam has criticised what he described as the politicisation of a government honorarium scheme for mosque imams and muezzins at the local level.In a Facebook post, Sarjis said he had earlier thanked Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for introducing the honorarium system for imams and muezzins.However, he alleged that the initiative is now being misused by local BNP leaders, who are allegedly using mosques as a means of political control and financial irregularities.Nothing could be more shameful than what has started at the local level, Sarjis wrote.He said many imams and muezzins in rural areas had traditionally received little or no remuneration. Despite having to remain available at mosques for five daily prayers, many of them had continued serving voluntarily for years in the hope of Allah's pleasure, he said.According to Sarjis, people had expected that the state honorarium would finally reach those who had devoted years to serving their local mosques.But, to our disappointment, your BNP leaders at the local level have now identified mosques as a field for party control and looting, he alleged.Sarjis further claimed that in some mosques brought under the honorarium programme, local BNP supporters were allegedly appointing new imams and muezzins based on political affiliation.He also alleged that some imams and muezzins who had served their mosques for years were being humiliated and forcibly removed.Sarjis said an imam had recently called him and requested that he convey a message to Tarique Rahman: the honorarium introduced by the government had, in some cases, become a source of humiliation and hardship for imams and muezzins.Addressing Tarique Rahman, Sarjis warned that if such practices continued, resentment among imams and the wider Muslim community could grow against the government and the BNP.He urged the prime minister to issue strict instructions to prevent what he described as political interference in mosque management and the appointment of religious personnel.Sarjis also warned that ordinary worshippers could eventually move to resist such practices if corrective measures were not taken.The allegations made in the Facebook post could not independently be verified. No response from the BNP or the authorities concerned was included in the post cited by Sarjis.
সহজ ও দ্রুত খবরের আপডেট পেতে আমাদের অ্যাপটি ইন্সটল করুন।
