Ahead of polls, Hasina announces to build 560 model mosques, Islamic university in B'desh

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday announced that her government will construct 560 model mosques and an Islamic university with the Saudi assistance, in an attempt to woo hardline Islamists ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled next month.

Speaking at an Islamic clerics rally here, Hasina urged the clerics not to be agitated by anti-Islam propaganda on social media, saying her government has enacted tougher laws to expose to justice perpetrators of any malicious campaign regarding the religion.

"I know that a lot of propaganda spreads on social media...do not pay any heed to them, she said.

The premier said that her government has introduced tough cyber-crime laws to deal with such malicious campaigns and anyone who spreads such false information would be exposed to justice."