Improved lighting in mosques costing lakhs of rupees, stinginess to pay imams

Satkaniya Representative: Imam-Muezzins are the most respected people in the society, but they live in poverty. Maybe we know or don't know or don't even try to know. How is the life of the imam behind whom we pray five times, the muezzin who calls us to five times prayer? Currently, the amount of money spent on teaching our children. Respected imams and muezzins of our society get the same amount of salary. After talking to many imams and muezzins of the village, I found out that four to five thousand TK are still paid.

Even in this there is arrears of several months. In view of the continuous increase in current commodity prices, those concerned must be aware of providing adequate salaries and allowances to Imams-Muezzins. Most of the mosque committees give as much importance to the infrastructure costs of the mosque as they do to the salaries of the imams and muezzins. Although there is a competition to spend money in the luxurious sectors such as carpets, lighting, tiles, air-conditioners with millions of taka in mosques, the competition of stinginess can be seen to pay the honor to meet the exclusive needs of the Imam-Muezzin.

The idea is that the income of the mosque is for their own luxury; not for Imam-Muezzin. All other expenses of the mosque are necessary, only the imam-muezzin's salary is unnecessary. Even though thousands of TK are spent annually on lighting and air freshening, the mind does not stop, but at the end of the year, when the topic of increasing the salary of imam-muazzin comes up, the sky falls on the head of the committee. Imam-Khatib and Muezzins are involved in one way or another with the life of every Muslim from birth to death. Just as Khatib Sahib highlights the problems of the society and describes their religious solutions every Friday, he encourages the people of the society to forget the mutual violence and hatred and spread love.

Imam's mercy is also in raising the children of Muslims with moral values. He is extremely neglected. According to the information, there are 3 lakh 31 thousand 125 mosques in the country. Among them, the Imam-Khatib of some mosques including National Mosque Baitul Mukarram, Jamiatul Falah and Andarkillah Shahi Mosque of Chittagong, Hetem Khan of Rajshahi get salary and allowance on government scale. Apart from this, the salary of 560 model mosques under construction by the government is determined by the local administration. Apart from this, the salaries and allowances of other mosques and other facilities are arranged by the mosque management committee with the help of the people of Ela.

If an average of three people work in each mosque, there are about one million people working in this sector. A fatwa of Darul Uloom Deoband may be referred to on the subject. The fatwa issued from Deoband clearly states, "It is haram to donate to a mosque that collects donations for the construction of the mosque by reducing the imam's salary or keeps the collection contribution for the construction of the mosque without giving it to the imam," and the fatwa issued from Azhar in Egypt states, " Paying less than 15,000 to 20,000 rupees to the imams in the present situation means oppressing the imams, so on the Day of Resurrection, Allah may place the mosque committee in the ranks of the oppressors.

The fatwa also states that mosques that do not have this capacity should be merged with another mosque. Maulana Noman Uddin, Joint Secretary of Ulama Parishad of Satkania Upazila and Imam of Maiz Para Fakiriya Jame Masjid, said that imams and muezzins of most of the mosques are spending their days struggling with their families.

All kinds of pains are silently borne as it is the natural fate of fate. A khatib, who did not want to be named, said that due to the infiltration of political figures in the mosque management committee of Bangladesh, imams are afraid to speak on any national issue or remain silent and many are confused due to this weakness. Members of political parties in mosque committees support people of their opinion.

All the time they have to go with the opinions in the mosques in all areas. If they go against the opinion, the tension starts with the job. Imams are always in fear of losing their jobs. Therefore, scholars believe that it is important to keep the highest religious institutions, mosque committees, out of politics. Speaking to the imams of different mosques, it is known that eating and living is free, staying at night is either under the stairs of the mosque or on the balcony of the mosque, there is no mental relief and you have to be under great pressure.