Bangladesh launches billion dollar campaign to tackle extremism

New Delhi, Delhi, India

In its latest attempt to counter Islamic extremism, Bangladesh has launched campaign worth billions of dollars.

Under the campaign, Bangladesh will build hundreds of 'model mosques' or cultural centres to preach against distorted Islamic philosophy.

A part of the funding for the initiative would come from Saudi Arabia, reports added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated nine mosques through a video conference on Thursday.

A senior official said that 560 'model mosques cum cultural centers' will be built in the next 30 months as part of government's attempt to fight extremism.

“In the next one to one and a half months, work on another 100 mosques will begin,” news agency AFP quoted Shahmim Afzal, who heads the government  Islamic affairs department as saying.

These mosques would be equipped with libraries and cultural centres and unlike other mosques of the country, these will be opened for women as well.

As this year is the election year for Bangladesh some experts have considered this move to be purely aimed at political gains and to win over radical opposition forces.

In recent years Hasina has cracked down on hard-line groups, and tried and executed leaders of extremist groups accused of war crimes. She has made secularism part of Bangladesh’s constitution.

“Ahead of the elections, she is adjusting her secular stand by leaning toward a more rightist Islamist position,” Rahman said.

Hasina has said a general election will be held this year.

Some 90 per cent of Bangladesh’s 160 million people are Muslims.

(With inputs from AFP)