Dr. Mohammad Abdul Mazid, former secretary and chairman of the National Board of Revenue, emphasized that zakat can play a vital role in implementing effective social safety programs in Bangladesh. Writing on March 2, 2026, he described social security as an essential component of a welfare state, aimed at supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. He noted that Islam introduced zakat to ensure equitable wealth distribution and reduce economic inequality, requiring wealthy Muslims to allocate a fixed portion of their assets to the poor.

The article explains that zakat, when properly collected and distributed, can alleviate hunger, poverty, and unemployment by providing basic needs to the underprivileged. It highlights that zakat covers various assets, including money, gold, livestock, and agricultural produce, and serves both moral and economic purposes. The author recalled that early Islamic governance treated zakat as a mandatory social obligation.

Dr. Mazid argued that current informal zakat practices fail to empower recipients, often turning them into dependents. He suggested that a government-led, institutionalized zakat collection and distribution system could significantly reduce national poverty levels.