On Saturday, January 17, 2026, Zakat Conference–2026 was held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital. The day-long conference was jointly organized by MASTUL Foundation and Al Zakat Sadaqah Foundation.
Following its tradition, this year marked the 7th edition of the Zakat Conference, jointly arranged by MASTUL Foundation and Al Zakat Sadaqah Foundation. The conference brought together renowned Islamic scholars from home and abroad, several government advisers, secretaries and senior officials, social workers, representatives of private organizations, development experts, academicians, doctors, as well as donors and well-wishers of MASTUL Foundation.
The conference was conducted in three sessions throughout the day. The chief guests of the three sessions included Dr. A F M Khalid Hossain, Honorable Adviser to the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh; Mr. Md. Mahbub-ul-Alam, Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports; Mr M. A. Akmal Hossain Azad, Member (Senior Secretary), Physical Infrastructure Division, Planning Commission; Islamic scholar and Director of the Center for Islamic Studies, Daffodil International University, Shaykh Professor Dr. Md. Mokhtar Ahmad; Shaykh Professor Dr. Mohammad Imam Hossain, Professor of Arabic, National University; and Shaykh Mufti Masum Billah, Chairman, Shariah Advisory and Research Council. Special guests included Abdul Salam Khan, Director General of Islamic Foundation; Saidur Rahman Khan, Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief; A. B. M. Sadekur Rahman, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock; Md. Kalam Uddin Biswas, Director General(Additional Secretary), Department of Social Services; Md. Daud Mia (NDC), Director General, NGO Affairs Bureau; Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, Vice Chancellor, North South University; Professor Dr. Kamrul Ahsan, Vice Chancellor, University of Asia Pacific; Professor Dr. Md. Shamsul Alam, Vice Chancellor, Islamic Arabic University; Manwar Hossain Moinul, Managing Director, KGSM Group; Engineer Mohammad Nazmul Islam, Managing Director, Frabik Label Limited; Kamrul Hasan, Managing Director, Day Tempete Limited IT Solutions; and Faizul Rahman Khan, Director, BTI Limited. Prominent Islamic speakers included Dr. Mufti Waliur Rahman Khan, Muhaddith, Islamic Foundation; Shaikh Rezaul Karim Abrar, Chief Mufti, Jamia Mahmudia; Shaikh Mufti Ahsanul Islam (CSAA); and Shaikh Mufti Jubayer Abdullah Nabi, among others.
The core objective of Zakat Conference 2026 was to highlight the effectiveness, potential, and practical application of Zakat in poverty alleviation and humanitarian development. The conference also aimed to raise public awareness about the obligation and importance of Zakat, promote correct Zakat practices, discuss Zakat calculation and assessment, explore modern applications of Zakat, ensure transparency and accountability in Zakat distribution, and strengthen the capacity of Zakat-collecting and distributing institutions through a dedicated workshop.
In his chief speech, Dr. A F M Khalid Hossain, Honorable Adviser to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, stated: The role that MASTUL Foundation has been playing in Zakat collection, proper distribution, and humanitarian service has deeply inspired me. This inspiration is the reason I attended the conference despite my illness.He further added, If poverty overwhelms a nation, that nation can never stand tall. Through proper institutional collection and distribution of Zakat, we can build a poverty-free society.He concluded his speech by calling on everyone to stand beside MASTUL Foundation in building a poverty-free society”
Islamic scholar and Director of the Center for Islamic Studies at Daffodil International University, Shaykh Professor Dr. Md. Mokhtar Ahmad, said:“When Zakat is given individually, the same person often receives it repeatedly every year. However, when Zakat is collected and distributed institutionally, different individuals benefit each year and gradually become self-reliant. MASTUL Foundation has been effectively utilizing Zakat through institutional management, enabling new individuals every year to stand on their own feet, which is truly commendable.”
Founder and Executive Director of MASTUL Foundation, Kazi Reaz Rahman, stated in his address: “All our efforts are solely for attaining the pleasure of Almighty Allah. Through proper and transparent utilization of Zakat funds, MASTUL Foundation is continuously working to improve the living standards and prosperity of the underprivileged. We firmly believe that if those upon whom Zakat is obligatory fulfill this duty responsibly and correctly, poverty will one day be eradicated from society, Insha’Allah.”
