Zakat system to become more trustworthy, dynamic: Finance minister

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury today (6 September) said the government’s ongoing initiatives would make the country’s overall Zakat system more trustworthy and dynamic.

“The overall Zakat system will become more trustworthy and dynamic once the initiatives planned by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the steps taken by the present government are implemented,” he said while replying to a starred question from opposition lawmaker Md Ruhul Amin (Chuadanga-2) in the House 
today.

With Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal in the chair, Khosru said the Government Zakat Fund Department had been operating under the management of the Islamic Foundation, under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, since 1982 to collect Zakat and distribute it among eligible recipients.

He said the government enacted the Zakat Act in 2023.

The minister said Zakat collection and distribution in Bangladesh also take place through madrassas, maktabs, orphanages and numerous private organizations. These institutions use Zakat funds to support education and other needs of millions of poor students.

The minister said around 80,000 Qawmi madrasas collect Zakat and contribute to providing literacy, moral education and character-building opportunities to children from poor families.

“Through these activities, affluent people are also paying Zakat and contributing to poverty alleviation,” he continued.

The Finance Minister said many private organisations also work with Zakat funds, providing financial assistance and rehabilitation support to their members.

He said Zakat, like services for Hajj pilgrims and mosque construction, had traditionally been managed largely through private initiatives.

The government has adopted a policy of treating the Zakat collection system as a coordinated force in the broader interest of the Ulama community, particularly as Zakat remains a major source of funding for madrassas and orphanages, he added.

The Finance Minister said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had taken a personal interest in improving the country’s Zakat system.

He further said the Prime Minister’s Office had formed a high-powered committee, which was working to improve the Zakat system based on the opinions of the Islamic Foundation and leading Islamic scholars.

“Work is underway to form a Zakat Board based on the committee’s recommendations and to reform, modernize and accelerate the activities of the Zakat Department across the country,” he added.

The minister said the committee’s recommendations were being implemented in phases.

He also said the government had taken initiatives to facilitate Zakat collection from both domestic and foreign sources.

“With the cooperation of the NBR, a system is already in place under which receipts for Zakat paid to the ‘Government Zakat Fund’ can be attached to tax returns to receive tax rebates,” he added.