Maungdaw, Arakan State : The Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) Chairman Myint Maung of Maungdaw Township has slapped a fine of kyat 200,000 for renovation of a veranda of a mosque on February 8, said a mosque committee member.
 
The mosque is situated in Myoma Ka Nyin Tan( Shikda Para) in Maungdaw Town and is known as Sayed Ali mosque. The veranda of the mosque is about 7 yards in length and is 2.5-yards in width. It was damaged last year. The villagers have been trying to get permission for renovating it. But, they failed to get permission.
 
So, last February, local villagers renovated it without permission from the concerned authorities. The villagers only roofed it with tin sheets whereas earlier it was roofed with Nipa leaves.
 
Because of the renovation, Abdul Amin (36), son of Sultan Ahmed was arrested by the TPDC Chairman on February 8. Sultan is one of the mosque committee members.  However, later he was released after paying kyat 200,000 to the TPDC Chairman, said a local elder.
 
No renovation is allowed of mosques, religious schools and houses, even a cow shed of the Rohingya community excluding other communities without permission from the authorities.