Planned Zakat distribution can reduce poverty PM Tarique

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday said the government has taken steps to make the country’s zakat management system more effective and targeted, noting that properly planned distribution of zakat could play a major role in reducing poverty in Bangladesh.

Speaking at an iftar gathering hosted for ulema, Islamic scholars and orphans at the State Guest House Jamuna, the prime minister said zakat—one of the five pillars of Islam—has significant potential to contribute to poverty alleviation if it is managed in a coordinated and organised way.

“Many wealthy people in our society pay zakat on their own initiative according to Islamic teachings. Some also pay their zakat through the government’s Zakat Board,” he said.

“If zakat is distributed in a planned and organised manner, it can make a significant contribution to reducing poverty,” he added.

Rahman said various research reports suggest that the amount of zakat collected annually in Bangladesh exceeds Tk20,000 crore to Tk25,000 crore, with some estimates putting the figure even higher.

However, he noted that the absence of a structured and coordinated distribution system means that although wealthy individuals fulfil their religious obligation, questions remain about how effectively the funds help alleviate poverty.

“As far as I know, Islamic teachings encourage zakat to be distributed in such a way that a recipient may not need to receive zakat again the following year after receiving it once,” the prime minister said.

He noted that there are currently around four crore families in the country across different economic conditions.

If poor and extremely poor families are properly identified and five lakh families receive Tk1 lakh each in zakat every year in phases, most of those households may not need to rely on zakat again the following year.

“If zakat is distributed in a targeted and well-planned manner, it could play an effective role in poverty alleviation in the country within 10 to 15 years through zakat management alone,” Rahman said.

The prime minister also stressed the role of religious leaders in promoting awareness about systematic zakat distribution.

“If this idea of zakat management for poverty alleviation is considered logical, ulema and religious scholars can play the biggest role in raising awareness among wealthy people,” he said.

Rahman further said the existing Zakat Board under the Ministry of Religious Affairs could be reorganised with the inclusion of leading Islamic scholars, religious experts and government officials to make it more effective.

“By using zakat for poverty alleviation, there is an opportunity to present Bangladesh as a model in the Islamic world,” the prime minister said.