BNP’s newly elected Member of Parliament Nilofar Chowdhury Moni has clarified her earlier remark that ‘extortion is better than zakat’. She explained her statement during a recent private television talk show where Jamaat MP Mardia Momtaz was also present. Moni said her earlier comment came in response to a Jamaat leader’s harsh criticism of the BNP, labeling it as corrupt and extortionist.

Moni elaborated that extortion is a punishable crime, but once punishment is served, the matter ends. In contrast, she argued, zakat funds are being misused when wealthy individuals or political groups use them for political purposes instead of helping the poor, as prescribed in Islam. She questioned how zakat money collected from salaries and businesses is being spent on hospitals, banks, and transport ventures benefiting the affluent.

She further emphasized that zakat is a duty for the rich and a right for the poor, not a charitable favor. Her clarification aimed to highlight the misuse of religious funds rather than justify extortion.