Mosque to be built in Bangladesh in memory of Sheikh Fareed

A mosque is being constructed in Bangladesh in memory of Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed Ahmed, a prominent religious scholar who passed away in Malaysia earlier this week.

Sheikh Fareed collapsed at the airport in Malaysia, where he was attending a meeting, and passed away shortly after being taken to hospital.

The mosque is being built by the NGO where Sheikh Fareed was actively involved. It will have a capacity of 455 worshippers and cover 250 square metres. The estimated cost of construction is MVR 760,000. The association has opened the project to public donations.

Sheikh Fareed, 53, will be buried in Malaysia following noon prayers today. Islamic affairs minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said that funeral prayers would be held in mosques across the Maldives after Friday prayers.

A respected religious leader and reformist, Sheikh Fareed was known for his sermons and played a significant role in the Islamic reform movement in the Maldives. He was also an advocate for freedom of expression within an Islamic framework.

Fareed had been arrested in connection with the protests of 12–13 August and was a notable figure during the early years of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), where he contributed through its Islamic Consultative Assembly.