Energy Sector Destroyed Over Past 18 Years: Religious Affairs Minister

Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain (Kaykobad) has said that the power and gas sectors were destroyed over the past 18 years. He said the government needs time to rebuild the power and gas sectors from the ruins and restore them to normal. He assured that the current crisis would be resolved quickly if the government is given the necessary time.

The minister made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the opening ceremony of the ‘Month-long Islamic Book Fair 2026’ at the eastern premises of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Saturday afternoon. The Islamic Foundation’s Publication Department organised the fair on the occasion of the holy Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH), 1448 Hijri.

The Religious Affairs Minister said, “When a baby is born, can it ever be possible to tell the baby to call someone ‘Abba’ immediately? The baby has to be given time and raised; when the baby grows up, it will automatically call him Abba. Similarly, the current government must also be given sufficient time.” The minister expressed strong optimism and said that, God willing, the current situation would not continue if the government is given the necessary time to work.

He said all the crises facing the country can be resolved if people place full trust in Almighty Allah, work patiently on the right path, and provide the government with time and cooperation. Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaykobad said the month-long Islamic book fair would play a special role in promoting Islamic knowledge, reading habits and moral values among ordinary people.

Referring to the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the minister said, “This fair has been organised with the aim of spreading the great life and teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) and the peaceful and welfare-oriented message of Islam among all.” The Religious Affairs Minister said the Islamic Foundation had been used for political purposes and had been “Awami League-ised” over the past 18 years.

He said the institution would be freed from its past “Mujibist” influence and developed into a genuine centre for promoting the Holy Quran and Hadith. Emphasising administrative transparency at the institution, he said all forms of injustice and wrongdoing must be permanently eliminated from the Islamic Foundation.

He expressed his determination to restructure the institution in such a way that no one would have to pay even a single penny for any legitimate service. Highlighting the achievements of the current government, he said a total of Tk 48,723,014 in unspent funds belonging to 4,341 Hajj pilgrims under government management in 2026 had been directly returned to their bank accounts, setting a new example.

He further said that, on the personal initiative of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the airfare for Hajj this year was set at Tk 130,000, compared with Tk 197,797 in 2023. Referring to the Prime Minister’s role, he said that although no other government had taken such an initiative since independence, the current Prime Minister had taken steps to introduce government allowances for Imams and Muezzins across the country.

He said 13,949 Imams, Muezzins, priests and temple caretakers have already been brought under the allowance scheme for religious leaders and service providers. He also said the current government has launched the ‘Farmer Card’ and ‘Family Card’ programmes and is implementing canal excavation and tree plantation programmes across the country.

In his speech as the chair of the event, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs AHM Kamruzzaman called for making the study of Islamic knowledge research-based and relevant to the times. Emphasising the importance of making authentic knowledge easily accessible through reliable publications, e-books and digital archives in the digital age, he urged writers and publishers to publish books based on moral values suitable for children and adolescents to help prevent misinformation.

The programme began with a welcome speech by Islamic Foundation Director General Muhammad Muhibbullahil Baki. Representatives of publishing houses, senior officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and journalists attended the event. It may be mentioned that the fair, featuring a total of 206 local and foreign stalls, will continue until October 11. The fair will remain open to the public from 11:00am to 10:00pm every day and from 10:00am to 10:00pm on holidays.