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Published : 09 Apr 2024, 02:18 AM
Raihan Haider, a resident of Paribagh in Dhaka, submits a large portion of the zakat, a mandatory alms tax for Muslims, on the family’s assets to the Islamic Foundation’s Zakat Fund following tradition.
Raihan’s family is an exception as most of the people do not deposit their zakat to the fund, leaving the government’s Zakat Board always grappling with a fund crunch.
The highest annual collection of the board is Tk 115 million, a very small amount in proportion to what it needs to get out of the practice of giving small amounts to the needy, just as most individuals do with cash, saree or lungi.
Thus the fund cannot reach its goal of helping the insolvent overcome financial difficulties, although Islamic scholars believe such a fund is the best way to do so following the teachings of Islam.
bdnews24.com interviewed a number of people and found that some of them did not contribute to the fund despite knowing about it as they felt “obligated” to distribute the money among the needy around themselves.
No specific statistics are available in Bangladesh on how much money is distributed as zakat every year.
Professor Md Abdur Rashid of Dhaka University’s Islamic studies department believes the amount is not lower than Tk 250 billion, which he thinks is enough to help the country gradually eliminate poverty if used as per the Islamic rules.
Fazle Elahi Arif, a private service holder, distributes zakat every year individually, but he feels that collecting zakat as a group before distributing them among fewer families will be more effective in reducing poverty rate.
"It creates a balance when people come together in a group and distribute zakat. Then the zakat amount becomes beneficial for the recipients as they get a handsome amount and can bring sustainable change to their economic condition," he said.
When asked why he never deposits his zakat money to the government fund, he said the circumstances force him to distribute zakat individually. “I have people around me whom I need to help under my current circumstances,” he said.
HOW MUCH MONEY ZAKAT FUND RECEIVES?
The government formed the Zakat Fund on Jun 5, 1982 under an ordinance.
After four decades, the ordinance was nullified and the Zakat Fund Management Act 2023 was passed.
The Zakat Fund, however, failed to attract people to donate. Also, there is no visible campaign for the fund.
In 2020, the Zakat Fund received Tk 35.3 million and the next year it got more than Tk 70 million.
The following year, the fund received more than Tk 100 million and finally, in 2023, it received Tk 115 million.
This year the Zakat Board hopes to accumulate Tk 200 million.
WHY THIS APATHY
Multiple reasons are there behind people distributing zakat individually instead of donating it to the government fund, said the fund officers and distributors.
While people nurture misconceptions about the fund, they also lack trust in it.
Many of them have no idea about the fund.
Mahbubul Hossain Titu, a resident of New Eskaton’s Gausnagar, and his siblings distribute zakat every year.
They are aware of the government’s Zakat Fund but do not donate there.
Rather, they distribute their zakat through the Ali Hossain Rufiza Khatun Foundation, a trust established in the name of their parents.
”We have our relatives, close aides, acquaintances, don’t we? And for Zakat, Islam asks us to prioritise relatives. The majority of our zakat goes to the school established by our parents,” Titu said.
Mosleh Uddin, a trader in Gazipur, personally distributes cash as well as clothing like sarees and lungis as zakat.
“I have no idea about the Zakat Fund. And even if I had, I would never donate my zakat amount to them. Whatever I need to give, I give it to the locals here. In my logic, this is the best way to do it,” he said.
“What is the guarantee that my zakat will be distributed properly? What if they pay the staff members’ salaries and take benefits from that money? Then the poor wouldn’t receive the entire amount,” said another person who wished to remain unnamed.
However, the staff members of Zakat Fund are paid from the government’s revenue sector, not the fund .
Paribagh resident Raihan said his father used to donate his zakat to the government fund and he continued to do so.
When asked about the process, Raihan said that every Ramadan he calculates the zakat and then calls the officers at the Zakat Fund who come home and receive the money from him.
“They provide for the poor in society, they make some people economically independent, and since it’s a government body, it is accountable to people. Hence we donate our zakat to the government fund,” Raihan said, adding he had full faith in the activities of the fund.
THE RULES
As one of the five pillars of Islam, zakat is a mandatory charitable contribution for all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth to help the needy.
Nisab is a term that often appears alongside zakat. It is a threshold, referring to the minimum amount of wealth and possessions that a Muslim must own before being obligated to pay zakat.
In other words, if personal wealth is below this minimum during one lunar year, no zakat is owed for that period. The nisab is set at the value of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver.
Muslims must meet this threshold before they can qualify for zakat. The amount is 2.5 percent or 1/40 of an individual's total savings and wealth.
Islamic scholars believe that zakat can be a tool to eradicate poverty in the country. But the way it is distributed in Bangladesh, that goal is never achieved.
“You should make someone financially independent with zakat money. Or at least make a way of earning for them,” said Harunur Rashid, director of the Zakat Fund.
Some of those donating zakat tend to distribute low-quality sarees and lungis. A few people give better quality clothing but mostly cheap clothing is distributed for zakat. “This is not the way zakat can reduce poverty,” said Huarunur.
Those giving cash, usually give it in small amounts to the beneficiaries.
“I believe it’s good to donate the zakat amount to the government fund. Because they give zakat after scrutiny,” said Prof Rashid of Dhaka University’s Islamic studies department.
“You can provide little food to those starving. But you can create employment which will eventually eliminate poverty,” he said.
“Bangladesh has an economy that churns a zakat amount of Tk 250 billion per year. If we can use it properly, we can reduce poverty in 20 years,” he said.
When asked how he calculated the available zakat amount in the country, Prof Rashid said that he calculated it based on total investment and savings and some other factors.’
THE FUND
Director Harunur said the fund was rising gradually with the help of Islamic Foundation’s district offices in collecting zakat.
Those willing to donate zakat to the fund can do it through its accounts from every private and government bank branch.
The Zakat Board office in Agargaon and Islamic Foundation’s Baitul Mukarram office accept cheques and cash as zakat.
“We are working to make people aware of the fund. Some submit the money directly in our office, or through bank accounts. Imams also collect and send the money,” said Harunur.
He said 70 percent of the funds are distributed in the district from where they came. The money is given to the needy for their employment, education, medical treatment and other needs. A portion is also allocated for newly converted Muslims.
The zakat committees in the districts and Upazilas check the recipients’ condition before giving the money.
The rest, 30 percent, is spent on Tongi Zakt Board Children’s Hospital in Gazipur and 24 sewing training centres across the country. The women who receive training also get cash allowance and sewing machines.
Money from the fund is also distributed among the poor after natural disasters.
The payments of the employees of the funds and the operation cost come from the government’s revenue sector.
“The money from the Zakat Fund is distributed in line with the Quran. Those giving money to the fund can rest assured that it is never given to a sector not mentioned in Shariah. We maintain transparency and accountability very carefully,” Harunur said.
Although the fund is growing gradually, he acknowledged the rate is not promising.
“We’re trying. We’ll take new measures in light of the law,” he said.
Bashirul Alam, director general of the Islamic Foundation, also emphasised making people aware of the fund and gaining their trust.
“If people knew that zakat is distributed properly through this fund, it may get a large sum of money and help alleviate poverty,” he said.
Bashirul said the foundation was working to introduce a mobile phone app for people to calculate and send their zakat to the fund within two months.
“Then the system will be more transparent and the collection will be strong.”
