PM calls for stronger Zakat management

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed relevant authorities to develop a more effective and organised Zakat management system in Bangladesh, highlighting its potential role in reducing poverty and strengthening social welfare.

The directive came during a meeting on Zakat management held at the Cabinet Division in the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka on Tuesday, according to Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Zahidul Islam Rony.

The meeting was attended by Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain (Kaikobad), Religious Affairs Secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad, and Shaykh Ahmadullah, chairman of the As-Sunnah Foundation.

Officials said the discussion focused on ways to make the country’s Zakat management system more structured, transparent and effective so that the Islamic charitable mechanism can play a greater role in supporting low-income families.

Zahidul Islam Rony said the meeting followed the prime minister’s remarks during an iftar programme on 7 March, where Tarique Rahman told Islamic scholars and orphan children that a properly organised Zakat system could significantly help eliminate poverty in Bangladesh within the next 10 to 15 years.

According to the deputy press secretary, participants in the meeting discussed how an improved Zakat collection and distribution system could strengthen poverty alleviation programmes and ensure that financial assistance reaches those most in need.

The meeting also decided to reconstitute the Zakat Board to strengthen the institutional framework responsible for managing Zakat funds across the country.

Officials recommended forming a committee led by Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain (Kaikobad) to review the existing system and propose reforms.

The proposed committee will include Allama Mufti Abdul Malek, khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, Shaykh Ahmadullah, chairman of the As-Sunnah Foundation, along with several Islamic economists and prominent scholars.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has been asked to submit the full list of committee members within ten days, after which the committee will begin work.

According to officials, the committee will prepare recommendations on improving Zakat collection, distribution and oversight, and submit its proposals to the prime minister.

The government believes that a well-structured Zakat management system could become an important component of Bangladesh’s social protection and poverty reduction strategy, ensuring that charitable contributions are used efficiently to support disadvantaged communities.