Questions emerge over custody and use of Hazrat Shahjalal shrine donations 

Questions have arisen over who will manage and oversee donations at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) after, for the first time in its centuries-old history, funds from the revered site were publicly counted on Monday (22 June). 

The initiative was led by recently withdrawn Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Md Sarwar Alam amid ongoing debate over administrative involvement in shrine affairs.

The count found Tk17.66 lakh in cash, along with a small quantity of gold and foreign currency, collected over four days through three traditional donation cauldrons and a donation box installed by the district administration.

While framed as a transparency measure, the move has raised questions over where the funds will be kept, who will oversee spending, and why traditional shrine managers were excluded. 

Last Thursday, the district administration sealed three long-used donation cauldrons and installed a formal box, citing financial accountability. The decision unsettled caretakers and devotees, who viewed it as an unprecedented step in the management of a major spiritual institution.

Tensions deepened after the Ministry of Public Administration withdrew Sarwar Alam on Sunday and reassigned him as deputy secretary without explanation. Despite the transfer, he proceeded with the public count the following day, breaking established practice.

Afterwards, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Saeeda Parveen said the funds would be deposited into a newly opened Sonali Bank account in the shrine's name, with decisions on its use to follow. 

Shrine caretakers and associates, however, say they were neither informed of the account nor involved in its creation or operation. Khadem Mufti Raihan Uddin Munna said they learned of the account through media reports. 

"None of us has been included in the account. We were not even informed about the counting," he said. Jaman Chowdhury, chairman of Ashekan-e-Awliya Bangladesh, raised similar concerns.

Earlier, Sarwar Alam had said donations would not be taken by the government and would be used for the shrine through a mechanism involving shrine authorities and the Waqf Estate. 

Stakeholders now say those traditionally responsible for the shrine's care appear absent from the arrangement. Acting Deputy Commissioner Pinky Saha declined to comment on the issue when contacted.

Long-standing tradition of donation management

The episode has also renewed interest in the shrine's traditional donation system.

According to caretakers, Hazrat Shahjalal (RA), who never married, arranged for part of the shrine's income to support his nephew's family. Today, around 300 Sarwakum, Mufti, and Syed families remain involved in shrine administration through the "Bari Protha" rotation system.

Under the arrangement, the caretaker on duty oversees maintenance, staff salaries, the shrine's langarkhana – a charitable kitchen serving devotees, travellers and the underprivileged – and other hospitality services. Remaining funds are traditionally retained as an honorarium for carrying out management responsibilities.

Munna said donations have never been actively solicited. "People come here out of faith and devotion. We do not campaign for donations," he said.

How much is donated?

The Tk17.66 lakh collected in four days has intensified discussion about donation volumes at the shrine.

Zaman Chowdhury said collections vary depending on visitor turnout. "On some days, donations may amount to Tk20,000 or Tk25,000, while on busier days they may reach Tk50,000. During Thursdays or other occasions when devotee turnout is higher, collections can exceed those figures," he said.

Civil society organiser Abdul Karim Kim noted that monetary donations became common only in relatively recent times. In earlier years, visitors often brought fruits, vegetables or livestock as offerings, while the shrine bore significant expenses for food and accommodation for travellers and devotees.

Referring to the recent developments, Kim argued that the district administration's intervention has generated unnecessary tensions between mazar ashekans and qawmis associated with the shrine.