The 13th Zakat Fair-2025, hosted by the Centre for Zakat Management (CZM), was opened by Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain at a convention center in the capital's Gulshan area. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Feb 23, 2025 (BSS) - Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain today said there is no alternative to Zakat for alleviating poverty from the society.

“The tendency towards crime increases when there is poverty in society. Poverty corrupts human nature. There is no alternative to Zakat for alleviating poverty from the society,” he said.

The adviser said this while inaugurating 13th Zakat Fair-2025 organized by Centre for Zakat Management (CZM) at a convention centre in city’s Gulshan.

Khalid said Zakat is an obligatory provision of Islam. “But due to the long-term British rule, there has been laxity in collecting Zakat in the country. Many people are very indifferent about collecting Zakat. Many consider it as arbitrary,” he added. 

In this regard, the advisor applauded the initiative of CZM to alleviate poverty through the collection and distribution of Zakat.

Highlighting the importance of Zakat, the religious affairs advisor said that it is possible to collect about one lakh crore taka of Zakat every year in Bangladesh. “If it is possible to motivate people to give Zakat, then within 10 years, there will be no beggars in this country. Crimes such as theft, robbery, terrorism, smuggling, drug trafficking will decrease from the society. The society will be changed.”

He urged able Muslims to pay Zakat.

Islamic Foundation director Dr Mohammad Harunur Rashid, Hajj Finance Company Limited Sharia Supervisory Committee chairman M Mohammad Farid Uddin and National University Professor Dr Mohammad Manzeru Ilahi, among others, spoke at the event with Islamic Arabic University vice chancellor Dr Md Shamsul Alam in the chair.

Chattogram University Arabic Department Professor Dr AKM Abdul Kader presented the key paper in the programme.