Zakat can play vital role to build just society
Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh has the potential to collect up to BDT 1 trillion in Zakat. If this amount can be properly mobilized, it would significantly contribute to building an equitable, poverty-free, and justice-based society, said Dr. Mohammad Abdul Majid, former Senior Secretary, former Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), and Convener of the Organizing Committee of the Zakat Fair.
He made these remarks on Thursday at a press conference organized by the Center for Zakat Management (CZM) at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), ahead of the 14th Zakat Fair.
Dr. Majid said that following the July Revolution of 2024, a collective aspiration has emerged among the people to build a discrimination-free, poverty-free, and just society, and Zakat can play a crucial role in realizing that vision. Proper Zakat distribution, he noted, is not merely about providing relief to the poor, but about empowering them to become self-reliant so that they can eventually become donors themselves.
He further pointed out that while the government often relies on foreign loans for poverty alleviation, the country has the potential to collect BDT 1 trillion in Zakat domestically.
If this vast amount could be collected from eligible citizens, the government would not need to depend on loans, and people would not suffer or die due to homelessness or lack of medical treatment.
Dr. Majid also criticized traditional Zakat practices, stating that most Zakat is still distributed through individual initiatives, often in the form of sarees and lungis. “Society will not change with sarees and lungis,” he said, adding that providing tools like vans or opportunities for small businesses would bring sustainable social transformation.
CZM Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mohammad Ayub Mia said that the organization has set a target to collect BDT 900 million in Zakat this year. He highlighted CZM’s strong focus on talent development, noting that so far, 17,500 first-year students of universities and medical colleges have received the “Genius Higher Scholarship,” amounting to BDT 4,000 per month for 30 months. This year, another 500 university and medical students have been awarded the scholarship.
He added that CZM operates more than 60 primary healthcare centers across the country, where doctors and paramedics provide regular services along with free medicines.
At CZM’s dialysis center, 60 patients receive free dialysis every month, while the organization bears full treatment costs for 30 thalassemia patients. In addition, CZM runs 15 schools, colleges, and madrasas and has provided vocational training to 5,500 people to develop skilled human resources.
At the press conference, it was announced that the 14th Zakat Fair 2026 will be held on Saturday, January 31, at the Officers’ Club on Bailey Road in Dhaka, under the theme “Zakat for Establishing Justice.” The fair will be inaugurated by the Religious Affairs Adviser of the Interim Government, Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain.
The Zakat Fair will feature three sessions. The first session, a symposium titled “Islamic Social Finance: A Roadmap for the Way Forward,” will begin at 10:20 am, with Dr. Khalid Hossain as the chief guest. The opening session will be chaired by former Adviser to the Caretaker Government, Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman.
At 2:30 pm, a seminar titled “Question and Answer Session for Women” will be held, with BUET Professor and Energy Regulatory Commission Member Dr. Syeda Sultana Razia as the chief guest. Answers will be provided by National University Professor Dr. Mohammad Manzure Elahi. At the same time, another hall will host an “Experience Sharing Session of Charity Organizations,” with participation from 20 local and international non-governmental social organizations. The session will be chaired by CZM Chairman Niaz Rahim.
The fair, open to all, will run from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and will feature a Zakat Calculation Desk to assist visitors with Zakat calculations and related religious rulings (mas’ala-masa’el).
Scholars providing guidance will include Professor Dr. Mohammad Manzure Elahi (National University), Professor Dr. A. K. M. Abdul Qader (University of Chittagong), Professor Dr. Zubair Mohammad Ehsanul Haq (Chairman, Arabic Department, University of Dhaka), Professor Mokhtar Ahmad (Chairman, Tarbiyah Education Network), and Shah Mohammad Waliullah, Khatib of Dhanmondi Sobhanbag Mosque, among others.
Others present at the press conference included Munawar Misbah Moeen, Convener of the CZM Executive Committee; Dr. Mohammad Ayub Mia, CEO of CZM; and Arastu Khan, former Chairman of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited and former Senior Secretary.