IF WE look back into Islamic history right from the very beginning when religious Caliphs used to rule the state based on the Quran and the Hadith, we won’t find any religious body aiming for individual or personal interest. This sub-continent also saw a lot of Islamic preachers who never had any business motive. They have struggled to take the religion to the people and even sacrificed their lives instead of compromising their ideal or principle. Now we see a lot of divisions among the Islamic philosophers and leaders which creates confusion. We have lost our morality and moved away from the right track and are now running after individual benefit.Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country where there are a lot of Islamic organisations and religion-based political parties. In the name of the organisation or party or shrine, many people often arrange periodic gatherings where the followers offer a huge amount of money and goods and even cattle etc to the party’s or shrine’s fund. Is there a body to monitor these funds and see how they are being spent? Should these not be spent for common good only?
I recently visited Sadarpur in Faridpur where there are two big shrines. When I was there, there were a lot of people and many vehicles in the streets around the area and even the surrounding areas for the purpose of such gatherings. A great many buses, microbuses, minibuses, private cars, vans, trucks were running jig jag on the narrow roads and on the old bridges and culverts. Any day this may cause a massive accident like the one in Mirsarai. In that case, who will take the responsibility? Shouldn’t the authorities of the shrines spend the money collected to build broad roads and new bridges and culverts in these areas for the people and even in their own interest? This way they can also draw the attention of the people. But actually, they are gathering heaps of money for their own interest or for political purposes using the name of religion. As a Muslim, I fail to see the justification of their action.
Finally, I’d like to request the government bodies concerned as well as the law enforcing agencies to closely monitor the activities of these organisations on different occasions to verify their intention and see how and where the money collected in the name of religion is being spent.
