Bangladesh Home Minister Slams Previous Govt's Model Mosque Projects Amid Corruption Allegations

Bangladesh's Home Minister, Salahuddin Ahmad, has labeled the previous Awami League government's initiative to construct model mosques as "disgraceful," responding to allegations of corruption in their implementation. He announced that the government would order mosque-by-mosque investigations into how the cost of building a single mosque escalated from Tk 13 crore to Tk 21 crore.

During a parliamentary session, Ahmad stated that other government agencies might also be involved in the inquiry. The issue was brought up by lawmaker Zainul Abdin Farroque, who cited the model mosque in Senbagh, his constituency, as being in disrepair with leaking structures and poor accessibility. He demanded a thorough investigation into the project.

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During the Awami fascist government, projects were taken to loot money. I'm not saying corruption like the Padma Bridge happened here, but what they did in the name of Islam and mosques was disgraceful.

Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal echoed these concerns, describing the condition of a model mosque in Durgapur, under his constituency, as even worse, with a large pond in front and a need for a bridge to access it. Locals have reportedly nicknamed it the "Taj Mahal of Durgapur."

"During the Awami fascist government, projects were taken to loot money," Ahmad declared, adding that while he wasn't comparing it to the Padma Bridge scandal, the actions taken in the name of Islam and mosques were indeed disgraceful. He acknowledged that the model mosque initiative itself was good, but questioned the legitimacy of the project estimates given the cost increases. The minister also referenced economist Debapriya Bhattacharya's white paper, which suggested that mega projects were used to facilitate mega corruption through inflated estimates and extended implementation periods.

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The model mosque is a very good initiative, but whether the project estimates were proper is a legitimate question. Costs rose from Tk 13 crore to Tk 21 crore.