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Zakat items are too pricey

Many prefer donating in cash to giving sari, lungi etc this year

Shahnaz Parveen
***With Eid only a few days ahead, the city dwellers have started shopping for zakat but sellers said the sale of zakat items is gradually declining. They attributed the decline of sales to the increased price local textile mill products***
Affluent Muslims provide zakat to the poor before Eid, but along with essentials zakat items --usually saris and lungis -- have also become dearer this year, putting extra pressure on the zakat donors especially the upper middle class.
Zakat is an Islamic tradition of providing welfare contribution to the poor and deprived people. Rich and upper middle class people practise this Islamic tradition giving out certain amount of cash or clothes to the poor.
Shahidul Islam, a businessman from Mirpur section-11, said, "I used to buy at least 300 pieces of saris and lungis every year to distribute among the poor relatives and neighbours but these days I have to cut back on zakat budget."
He also said, "The usual zakat items are too expensive this year. The prices of saris and lungis are beyond my budget. I cannot afford that much any more.”
Islam mentioned that his family now distributes cash among needy people because the prices of clothes have increased. The number of people getting the donation is also reducing every year as they are compelled to shorten the list.
"These days we give out Tk 100 each. This is much more convenient for us as we do not have to go through all the hassle in the market to buy saris and lungis," said Islam.
"Moreover, most people now want money instead of clothes. During Eid destitute people get a number of saris and lungis but what they actually want is food. With money they can buy food. Sometimes people even sell the zakat clothes for money," he said.
Best places to buy zakat items in the city are Dhanmondi Hawkers' Market, New Market, New Super Market, Gausia, Mouchak, Bangabazar, PirYameni Market, Islampur and Mirpur Muktijoddha Market, apart
from showrooms of various textile mills.
With Eid only a few days ahead, the city dwellers have started shopping for zakat but sellers said the sale of zakat items is gradually declining. They attributed the decline of sales to the increased price local textile mill products.
Amjad Hossain, a salesman at Bhai Bhai Sari Bitan in New Super Market, said printed cotton saris of local textile mills
have always been a popular zakat item for young women while single-coloured thin bordered handloom saris are for older women.
For men, handloom lungis from Pabna, Narsingdi, Comilla and Kushtia have always been the most popular zakat item.
Printed saris now sell atTk 210 to Tk 280 while a lungi costs Tk 120 to Tk 170 -- prices of both used to be at least 50 taka less last year. Single coloured handloom sari was Tk 250 just a
year ago, which now costs around Tk 350.
"We had regulars who used to come every year at the end of Ramadan. But we are losing some of these customers," said Amjad.
Owner of Rajshahi Sari Store in New Market said, "Manufacturing cost of saris has increased in recent times. Prices of yam and colours doubled so the textile mills have increased prices of their products. Same goes for the weavers.’