Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called on traders not to raise commodity prices through dishonest means during the holy month of Ramadan. He made the appeal on Saturday at an iftar gathering organized at the state guesthouse Jamuna in honor of orphans and Islamic scholars. Rahman described Ramadan as a month of sacrifice and restraint, urging businesspeople not to turn it into a period of greed and profit-seeking.

The Prime Minister also discussed the importance of zakat as one of the five pillars of Islam and shared his plan to make zakat management more effective and targeted. He noted that although wealthy individuals in Bangladesh contribute significant amounts in zakat each year, the lack of organized distribution limits its impact on poverty reduction. Rahman said the government is planning to strengthen zakat management to ensure it contributes more directly to alleviating poverty.

He added that due to global circumstances, this might be the last iftar event of the season, emphasizing austerity in government spending and the significance of supporting orphans and religious scholars during Ramadan.