United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday inaugurated a programme to provide monthly allowances to imams, muazzins  and other religious leaders, fulfilling one of the key electoral pledges of BNP. The programme was inaugurated  at a ceremony held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the morning, according to BNP media cell.  The government also launched similar allowance programmes for priests and temple caretakers as well as for Buddhist monastery principals and vice-principals. On January 21, the government issued a gazette on the Mosque Management Policy 2025 introducing a structured pay scale, service benefits, recruitment rules and welfare provisions for mosque employees in the country. Under the new policy, a grade-based salary structure has been fixed for mosque employees excluding khatibs whose remuneration will be determined according to contract terms. However, financially insolvent and mosques where 5-time prayers held have been advised to fix salaries and allowances according to their capacity. Padma Bridge rail link: Narail commuters face long waits as only one train runs on key routes As per the new policy, senior pesh imams will receive salaries in Grade 5, pesh imams in Grade 6 and imams in Grade 9. The chief muezzin will be paid in Grade 10, muezzin in Grade 11, chief khadem in Grade 15 and khadem in Grade 16.

Dhaka, Dec 5 (UNB) - Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday said the responsibility of the state is to ensure the people’s rights guaranteed by the Constitution and sought cooperation from religious leaders in getting accurate information if any attack on minorities happens in the country. “We want to know the accurate information and want to establish the process of getting the information accurately,” he said in his opening remarks during a meeting with faith leaders of Bangladesh at Foreign Service Academy. Political parties assure Dr Yunus to uphold Bangladesh's sovereignty The Chief Adviser invited them to join the talks to know how information can smoothly be received in a safer way so that information providers do not fall in any trouble. He said incidents of attacks on minorities may take place in the country but information must be gathered immediately if such incidents happen, and perpetrators must be brought to justice. Prof Yunus said all the people of the country have equal rights. Entire world needs to know Bangladesh united: Dr Yunus He stressed taking measures to create an environment to prevent such incidents and ensuring immediate remedy for victims. “I think most of the people of Bangladesh agree with what I have said,” he added.    Recalling his speech he delivered on his arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport just before the formation of the interim government, he said they all are a family despite having differences of opinions. "We are the members of the same family.  We are not enemies to each other. We all are Bangladeshis," he recalled what he said before. Referring to his visit to Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka on the occasion of Durga Puja, the Chief Adviser said Durga Puja was celebrated with festivity in the country while people from all walks of life joined it. He said there is a gap of information between the ground reality and the reports published by the foreign media. The leaders of different religions, Muslims, Hindu, Christian and Buddhist, joined the talks. Prof Yunus on Wednesday declared that no force could undermine the solidarity forged since August 5 or deprive the nation of its hard-earned freedom. "The nation stands on a solid foundation, and it will remain steadfast. No one can break our unity or strip us of our freedom," Prof Yunus said in his concluding remarks during his meeting with political leaders. He acknowledged the presence of differing opinions among the people but emphasized that there was no division regarding the collective unity of the nation. CA's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said Prof Yunus held a meeting with student leaders on Tuesday evening. “Prof Yunus called the students to help rebuild the nation,” Alam told UNB after the meeting. Entire world needs to know Bangladesh united: Dr Yunus The Press Secretary hoped that the citizen groups, Bangladeshi diaspora, political parties, and civil society would raise their voices against the massive misinformation campaign against Bangladesh.