CHATTOGRAM, Sept, 8, 2023 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said military dictators Ziaur Rahman and Ershad and Zia's wife Khaleda Zia during their regimes kept hanged the process of recognizing Qawmi madrasah education system after making promises to do so.

But Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave recognition to certificates of Dawrae Hadith under Qawmi Madrasa Education Boards as equivalent to Master's Degree in Islamic Studies and Arabic in 2017 and now the students are also getting jobs with the certificates, he mentioned.

Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary, was addressing as the chief guest a view-exchange meeting with teachers of madrasah and Islamic mass education programmes in Rangunia Upazila Parishad auditorium under his constituency this evening.

He said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had established the Islamic Foundation and Bangladesh became a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), formerly Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

Today his illustrious daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has done a lot for Islam and no other governments did so.

Hasan said none recognized Qaumi Madrasa education system for the spread of Islamic education and established an Islamic Arabic university, no other government built mosques-maqtabs in districts and upazilas and introduced salary system for imams and trainers but only Awami League government has implemented it. The government is building 560 model mosques across the country, he said.

The minister said the government established about 120,000 mosque-based maktabs and introduced providing Taka 5,200 monthly allowance to each of its teachers and Taka 12,500 monthly allowance to 20,000 Darul Arqam Ebtedayee Madrasahs.

He said 24 new mosque buildings have been built in Rangunia from my personal fund through my family foundation with the cooperation of Allama Fazlullah Foundation.

Hasan said every year he sends some of Alems and Olemas to Hajj and makes arrangement for them to perform Umrah.

"I am working with the principles that none has to return without getting any result after coming to me for any work. I am working not only for Alems and Olemas but also for the Hindu and Buddhist communities in the same way in my constituency. I will always stay with you as I am doing now and did in the past" he added.

He urged all residents of Rangunia to keep their doors open for him always and sought votes for him in the next general election.

Upazila Awami League vice-president Abdul Monaf Sikdar presided over the function while Upazila Awami League religious secretary Jasim Uddin, Islamic scholars Maulana Allama Shah Muhammad Sultan Ahmad, Maulana Mir Muhammad Jahangir Alam, Maulana Abul Bayan, Maulana Omar Faruk, Maulana A.N.M. Nazmul Hossain Naimi, Maulana Ayub Noori, and Maulana Abdur Rahim also spoke.

Later, the minister distributed cheques for Tk 10 lakh to two hundred distressed people from his personal funds and family foundation.