Prime Minister (PM) Tarique Rahman on Monday instructed officials to examine ways to modernise and streamline Bangladesh’s zakat management framework, aiming to make it more structured and results oriented.
The directive came during a meeting on zakat management held at the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat, according to Prime Minister’s Deputy Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony.
Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain Kaikobad, Religious Affairs Secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad and As Sunnah Foundation Chairman Sheikh Ahmadullah attended the meeting.Participants agreed in principle to reorganise the existing Zakat Board to enhance its effectiveness. A proposal was also placed to form a review committee led by the Religious Affairs Minister to assess the current system and submit recommendations to the prime minister.
The proposed committee is expected to include Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Khatib Mufti Abdul Malek, Sheikh Ahmadullah, along with leading Islamic economists and prominent scholars. Officials said the Religious Affairs Ministry will submit a full list of proposed members within the next ten days.
Once formed, the committee will prepare a set of recommendations focused on improving zakat collection and distribution and restructuring the Zakat Board to ensure greater impact.
The discussion follows remarks by the prime minister at an iftar event on Saturday, where he said that a well managed and targeted zakat system could significantly reduce poverty in Bangladesh within 10 to 15 years.
Officials at Monday’s meeting also explored how a more coordinated and transparent zakat framework could contribute to long term poverty alleviation efforts across the country.B
