Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged all to remain alert so that militant activities could not be carried out in the name of Islam.

“We have to take steps so that Islam always remains on top,” she said while inaugurating the Hajj Programme-2018 at Hajj Camp in the city's Ashkona area.

Hasina said Islam believes in peace as it repeatedly says about the rights of human beings and welfare of people. “But often we see some people in the name of this religion get involved in terrorist activities. This puts our religion into question before the whole world.”

The PM said such activities cause problems to Muslims when they travel to various countries. “But Islam is the most peaceful religion.... Islam says the people of all religions will perform their own religious rituals independently. Our Prophet (PBUH) repeatedly said that.”

She mentioned that some people created anarchy and problems just to undermine Islam. “Nobody has the right to malign our religion.”

Hasina said the government wanted to build a system so that people could understand the real meaning of Islam. To make it happen, the government has taken up a project to construct 560 mosques across the country under the supervision of the Islamic Foundation.

Eighty percent places for these mosques have been selected and the Tk 800 cr project has got the government's nod, she said. “Apart from being used for offering prayers, these mosques will spread the real meaning of Islam so that nobody can confuse people.”

She urged the hajj pilgrims to seek mercy of the Almighty Allah while offering prayers at the holy mosques for allowing the country's people of all faiths to live peacefully.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister AKM Shahjahan Kamal, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Religious Affairs Ministry Bazlul Huq Haroon, Sahara Khatun MP, and Saudi Charge d'Affaires Amir Bin Omar Bin Salem addressed the programme, among others, with Religious Affairs Minister Matior Rahman in the chair.

Later, the premier exchanged greetings with Hajj pilgrims.

This year's Hajj flights carrying Bangladeshi pilgrims will begin on Saturday. A total of 127,198 Bangladeshi pilgrims will perform Hajj. Of them, 7,198 will perform the rituals under government management and the rest under private management.

Two packages have been designed for pilgrims under the government management which will cost them Tk 397,929 and Tk 331,359 each respectively.