Photo: Video Screenshot

SANGSAD BHABAN, July 13, 2026 (BSS) - Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today asked the Religious Affairs Ministry to conduct a mosque-wise investigation over anomalies that took place in the model mosque project.

“I would ask the religion affairs ministry today to carry out a mosque-wise investigation to determine how the construction cost of a mosque increased from Tk 13 crore to Tk 21 crore, what the total estimated cost of the mosques was and how many mosques were constructed,” he said in the Parliament.

Salahuddin on behalf of the religious affairs minister said this, while replying to a supplementary question from treasury bench member Zainul Abedin Farroque (Noakhali-2) in the House.

Farroque in his question asked whether an investigation would be launched into alleged anomalies that occurred in the model mosque project, citing that the construction cost of Senbagh upazila model mosque, located in his constituency, increased from Tk 13 crore to Tk 21 crore. 

In this regard, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal, who was chairing the House, raised concerns over the location of the Durgapur Model Mosque in his constituency. Local people could not conveniently use the mosque as it had been built behind a large pond, requiring a bridge for access, he said.

Salahuddin, in absence of Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain Kaikobad, said Zainul Abedin Farroque is a veteran parliamentarian and he has vast experience. "What he (Farroque) has raised may be applicable elsewhere as well because the Awami fascism government undertook many projects to plunder money," he said.

The Minister, however, said he was not claiming that the Model Mosque project involved corruption of the same scale as alleged in the Padma Bridge project.

"Model mosques are undoubtedly a good initiative, but it is a legitimate question whether the project for constructing these mosques was implemented properly and how the cost of a mosque increased from Tk 13 crore to Tk 21 crore,” he said.

Referring to the white paper prepared by noted economist Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya on the country's economy, Salahuddin said mega budgets were taken for mega projects and mega development and the project periods were extended and the estimated costs were increased several times.

"First the estimates (of the projects) were inflated, then corruption took place, implementation periods were extended and costs increased further," said the minister.