Rajshahi: A total of 115 distressed and helpless individuals were provided with zakat money amounting to Taka 5.75 lakh to help alleviate their financial crises and bring some happiness to their families. The Rajshahi Divisional Office of the Islamic Foundation (IF) distributed the funds on behalf of the government’s Zakat Fund for the 2024-2025 fiscal year at the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office conference hall.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, each recipient was allocated Taka 5,000. Prior to the distribution ceremony, a discussion titled “Role of Zakat in Poverty Alleviation” was held. The event featured Commissioner of Rajshahi Division, Khandaker Azim Ahmed, as the chief guest, with DC Afiya Akhter presiding over the proceedings.
Divisional Director of IF Abdur Razzaque, along with Director of Finance, Accounts and Zakat Division Abdul Hamid Khan, and Professor Nizam Uddin from the Department of Arabic at Rajshahi University, also addressed the gathering. Commissioner Khandaker Azim Ahmed highlighted that zakat can aid in reducing income disparity and promoting economic growth by transferring wealth from affluent individuals to those in need.
He further noted that aligning income tax with zakat could enhance collection rates and suggested the implementation of tax rebates for zakat payers to boost the volume of contributions. IF Divisional Director Abdur Razzaque observed that zakat could alleviate the government’s financial burden on social safety nets and reduce reliance on foreign borrowing, advocating for support from the nation’s economists in this regard.