Public Administration Adviser to the Prime Minister (with the rank of minister), Md Ismail Zabihullah, chaired a meeting at the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Aug 4, 2026 (BSS) - Public Administration Adviser to the Prime Minister (with the rank of minister) Md Ismail Zabihullah today said the BNP government will provide monthly honorarium allowances to a total of 2,56,074 imams, muezzins, khadems and personnel of other religious institutions across the country during the current fiscal year.

He made the remarks while chairing the seventh meeting of the cell formed by the Prime Minister's Office to implement the government's election manifesto by introducing a monthly honorarium and training-based welfare programme for imams, muezzins, khadems and personnel serving at other places of worship. 

The meeting was held at the conference room of the Ministry of Religious Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The adviser said Tk 1100 crore has been allocated in the 2026-27 fiscal year's budget to provide monthly honorariums for imams, muezzins, khadems and personnel serving at different religious institutions.

Under the programme, one-fourth of the country's total beneficiaries, amounting to 256,074 people, will receive the allowance in the first year, while all religious institutions will be brought under the scheme over the next four years.

Of the total beneficiaries in the current fiscal year, 247,968 people from 82,656 mosques, 6,000 people from 3,000 temples, 1,504 people from 752 Buddhist monasteries and 602 people from 301 churches will receive the financial assistance.

Zabihullah said that in the 2025-26 fiscal year, honorariums were provided to 13,949 imams, muezzins, khadems and other personnel serving at 6,017 selected religious institutions across the country.

The Public Administration Adviser said imams, priests, heads of Buddhist monasteries and pastors will receive Tk 5,000 per month, while muezzins, sebayets , deputy heads of Buddhist monasteries and assistant pastors will receive Tk 3,000 per month. Khadems of mosques will receive Tk 2,000 per month.

In addition, each beneficiary will receive an annual festival allowance of Tk 2,000.
 
The money will be disbursed through mobile banking services or directly to bank accounts according to the beneficiaries' preference.

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, MP, Whip and Shariatpur-3 lawmaker Miah Nuruddin Ahmad Apu, Gaibandha-4 lawmaker Mohammad Shamim Kaiser, secretaries of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Director General of the Islamic Foundation, Director General of the NGO Affairs Bureau and representatives from the Finance Division and the Local Government Division were present at the meeting.