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Published : 26 Jun 2026, 03:08 PM
A 12-member committee has been formed to handle donation funds at the Hazrat Shahjalal shrine to ensure financial transparency and accountability.
The decision was taken at a meeting on the shrine's management and development at the Sylhet Circuit House on Friday, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said.
He said all stakeholders had agreed on the need for greater transparency and the committee would prepare a practical framework for the the historic spiritual site’s financial management within one month.
The oversight body, headed by the commerce minister, includes Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, Sylhet Development Authority Administrator Rezaul Hasan Lodi, Sylhet Divisional Commissioner Moshiur Rahman, and District Council Administrator Abul Kaher Shamim.
The deputy inspector general (DIG) of Sylhet Range Police, the commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, two representatives from the shrine's Mutawalli (custodian) family, and two members from the shrine's madrasa and mosque also sit on the panel.
The deputy commissioner will serve as member secretary.
The meeting was convened amid recent controversy over the locking of the shrine's donation boxes.
Discussions covered coordinated steps to develop the Dargah and bring transparency to how donations are handled.
After the meeting, Muktadir said all relevant parties -- including the shrine authority -- had reached a consensus on financial transparency.
"On the basis of everyone's views, we have drawn up a rational framework. The committee will determine the way forward within the next month," he said.
For now, the committee will count donations according to existing rules, with the funds deposited in a bank account under the district administrator's supervision, the minister said, calling transparency the overriding goal.
On the outgoing district administrator Md Sarwar Alam's earlier initiative that triggered the controversy, Muktadir said the government has “no interest” in relitigating the past.
"One way to get things done is to go it alone. Another is to bring everyone on board. The government has chosen an approach that ensures transparency, broad participation, and avoids any backlash," he said.
The Circuit House meeting also took in discussions on preserving the shrine's heritage, improving its management practices and making its development work more effective and broadly acceptable.
Politicians, administrative officials, elected representatives and shrine authorities were among those who attended.
