Mosque-based education gets major funding in Bangladesh’s new $1B project

Bangladesh’s ECNEC backs $383M Quran-based learning plan as part of $1B development package

DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV)  — Bangladesh has approved a wide-ranging mosque-based education program aimed at promoting Quranic literacy, moral development, and early childhood education across the country. 

The 46.46 billion Bangladeshi taka ($383 million) initiative received the green light Saturday during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus.

According to The Business Standard, the program—now in its eighth phase—seeks to reach more than 9 million children and 120,000 adults through mosque-based learning centers in 44,200 mosques. It will also establish 28,800 pre-primary education centers in underserved communities, ensuring better school preparedness for children from rural and marginalized areas.

The project includes monthly honorariums for over 76,000 imams, muezzins, and educators, and sets up 2,050 resource centers to promote lifelong learning and community engagement. 

Officials say the initiative not only strengthens grassroots education but also integrates religious scholars into broader development efforts.

Submitted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the program is designed to foster ethical values, community responsibility, and spiritual grounding through structured Quranic education. 

It is also expected to support national goals for decentralized service delivery and inclusive development.

Alongside the education initiative, ECNEC approved eight other development projects totaling 72 billion taka ($593 million). These include upgrading 23 government polytechnic institutes, with nearly 20 billion taka ($164 million) earmarked for construction and infrastructure improvements. 

In the energy sector, a 41.31 billion taka ($340 million) transmission and renewable integration project was approved, with partial funding from the Asian Development Bank, as well as a 5.40 billion taka ($44 million) power distribution initiative in the country’s western zone.

Although no official press briefing followed the meeting—departing from usual protocol—details of the approvals were later shared through official documents. Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud addressed an unrelated media event afterward but did not offer remarks on the ECNEC decisions.

The mosque-based program stands out not only for its scale but also for its emphasis on combining religious and developmental goals—supporting both faith-based learning and early education across Bangladesh’s island, rural, and urban communities.