President of Bangladesh praises ties with Kuwait

The President of Bangladesh Zillur Rahman praised the close and historic ties bounding his country with Kuwait, hailing the Gulf state'S leading role in executing social and development ventures and programs that contributed to boosting development in his country. The president, who laid the corner stone of the Kuwait Great Mosque in the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, expressed gratitude to Kuwait for these projects that have noticeably contributed to promoting the sectors of health, education and agriculture. He also noted construction of mosques and teaching institutes, with Kuwaiti funds, according to a statement released by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, here on Thursday. Elaborating in a statement following the inauguration ceremony, attended by the Kuwaiti Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Mohammad Abbas Al-Noumess, Rahman estimated the value of the executed Kuwaiti ventures at USD 25 millions. Kuwaiti-funded aid programs resulted in securing sustainable income for some families, who had no homes, thus they found new meaning for life, he said, praising in particular the non-government Kuwaiti associations and institutions that launched many ventures for aiding the orphans and the needy. In a statement at the ceremony, Al-Noumess said the gathering symbolized sincere Islamic brotherhood and solidarity. For his part, the Secretary General of Awqaf, Dr. Abdel Mohsen Al-Kharafi, indicated in a statement that the mosque would also serve as a religious school for teaching the Holy Quran and religious textbooks. Mosques can serve as schools for educating the faithful to combat extremism and terrorism and embrace moderation which distinguishes the tolerant Islamic doctrine, he added. Cost of the construction of the mosque is estimated at 111,000 Kuwaiti dinars.