CAIRO, April 17, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Asia Foundation have launched a program to “enhance the role of imams” in Bangladesh, The Daily Star reported on Sunday, April 16.

The program, entitled “Leaders Outreach Initiatives”, reportedly aims at acquainting imams with the activities of development organisations, added the Bangladeshi daily.

Imams, as persons of influence in the society, should be enabled to raise public awareness about development goals and facilitate greater participation of the people in development activities, said the USAID in a press release.

One hundred imams are taking part in the three-day orientation program, but the organisers have plans to train 4,800 imams from across the country over the next 18 months.

Muslims make up around 80 percent of Bangladesh’s population, making it one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.

Hinduism is professed by about 13 percent of the population while there is a very small Christian community.

The Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh’s Director-General, AZM Shamsul Alam, said Washington should invest more in mosques and Islamic organisations to win the hearts of the Bangladeshi people, reported The New Age newspaper.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the program at the Imam Training Academy in Dhaka, he criticised the US and Europe for failing to “develop or patronise” the Islamic NGOs in Bangladesh.

He also urged the USAID to offer “guidance” to imams, and the Christian missionaries to forge close contacts with such NGOs which, according to him, are “closer than the left-oriented NGOs”.

Shamsul called upon the US government to follow the path of “wise” British politicians who established Aliya Madrassah in 1780 to strengthen their rule and authority on religious leaders, and suggested establishment of English medium qaumi madrassahs to win the heart of the Bangladeshi people.

Ministry of Religious Affairs Secretary Rafiqul Islam and USAID Mission Director Gene V George also addressed the ceremony.

George said his country wants the imams to get involved in community activities while Islam said imams have the potential to take the lead in their respective communities.

The issue of imams training has recently taken central stage in several European countries.

Major Swiss Christian groups put forward a proposal to establish a government-supervised institute to educate imams on the “liberal” lifestyle in western societies.

German integration minister Marieluise Beck has further released a 20-point strategy recommending that imams coming to Germany should have a knowledge of the German language and society.