Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan has issued the following statement on 17 April 2020 urging the concerned authority to pay the due salary of the teachers who are working under the ‘Mass Education’ project of Islamic Foundation.

“Around 76 thousand Imam and Muazzins are not getting their due salary for 4 months who have been working under the ‘Mass Education’ project of Islamic Foundation.

The Director General of Islamic Foundation was expelled from his office couple of months back due to severe corruption and irregularities. Since then, no board meeting has taken place as such the budget of the current fiscal year has not been approved as well.

Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, they are not receiving their remuneration from the mosques on regular basis. Islamic Foundation usually pay them 4500-taka BDT per month which is really inadequate to manage their lives.

In one hand, they are not getting salary from the Islamic foundation, on the other, the mosques are not in a position to support them now due to severe pandemic. Under the circumstances, Imam and Muazzins are leading a tragic and deplorable life.

In this backdrop, I am urging the concerned authorities to pay all the dues of the Imams and Muazzins immediately considering their situation on humanitarian ground.