Beware of unrest created in name of Islam: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged all including the religious leaders to remain alert so that none could create any unrest, terrorism and extremism in the country in the name of Islam.
“We will have to uphold the spirit of Islam at any cost as it is the religion of peace, harmony and tolerance,” she said addressing a function at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.
The function marked the distribution of books including the Holy Quran among the students of mosque-based children and mass education programme of the Islamic Foundation.
Hasina said the mosque-based children and mass education programme is a big project of the government to create employment for Imams and spread the light of education among the hapless poor people.
The Prime Minister alleged that the previous BNP-Jamaat alliance government had suspended the programme, but soon after taking office, her government resumed the five-year programme and allocated Tk 643.55 crore to it.
Under the programme, education is being provided in Bangla, English, mathematics and moral education at the pre-primary stage along with the learning of Holy Quran.
Due to the steps of the government, employment has been created for 40,000 Imams and ulema (Islamic scholars) as well as 5,800 pious women.
She said the government has made religious and moral education mandatory at pre-primary and primary levels under the national education policy 2010.
“We have also taken initiatives to create the posts of religious teachers in all primary schools of the country,” Hasina added.
Chaired by State Minister for Religious Affairs Advocate Shahjahan Mia, the function was also addressed, among others, by Religious Affairs Secretary Quazi Habibul Awal and Director General of Islamic Foundation Shamim Mohammad Afzal.
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