BNP plans to provide monthly honourarium to imams and muazzins facing financial hardship if it returns to power, said the party's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman yesterday.
He said the state must take responsibility for those who serve as religious and social reformers.
"The job of an imam or muazzin depends on the whims of the mosque committee. I believe this should not be the case; it cannot be. Insha'Allah, if the BNP gets the opportunity to govern, the BNP government will prioritise the initiative to formulate service rules. The BNP government will certainly take effective steps to implement the other demands also," he said.
Tarique made the remarks while addressing the National Conference of Sammilito Imam-Khatib Parishad at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.
He said the demands placed by imams and khatibs, including the formulation of Service Rules for imams, khatibs and Muazzins, are "extremely logical".
He said BNP has never compromised on the core principles of Islam and would not do so in the future.
Tarique said BNP has always supported Islamic culture and remained vocal against activities that go against the interests of Islam and Muslims.
He cited the vast network of religious institutions across the country, saying there are over 5,000 madrasas of different categories, including Qawmi, Alia, public, private and unregistered institutions, with millions of students studying there. He also said around 3.5 lakh mosques employ 17 lakh Imams, Khatibs and Muazzins who perform religious duties.
He said achieving sustainable development is impossible if millions involved in mosques and madrasas remain excluded from development initiatives, and BNP has adopted specific action plans accordingly.