Massive irregularities have been found in the construction of 560 model mosques with government funds, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam said on Thursday (March 13).

Speaking at the Foreign Service Academy in Bailey Road, Dhaka, he said the Ministry of Religious Affairs has formed a probe committee to investigate the allegations.

The fallen autocratic government built the mosques at a cost of one billion dollars. Their supporters claim it was funded by Saudi Arabia, but in reality, not a single penny came from Saudi funds. The project was fully implemented with taxpayers’ money, he said.

He said that various irregularities had been reported, including an influential minister constructing a mosque in a remote area eight kilometers from a city, near his resort, instead of within the city. Each mosque was built at a cost of Tk 17 crore, while many believe it could have been done at half the cost.

The issue has been discussed in the advisory council, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs has formed a committee to investigate the extent of corruption in the project, the press secretary added.

BDST: 2147 HRS, March 13, 2025
MSK