Over Tk 88 Lakh in Cash Found in Shahjalal Shrine Donation Boxes, Along With Gold and Foreign Currency
More than Tk 88 lakh in cash has been found after opening the donation boxes and cauldrons of the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) in Sylhet. The total cash stood at Tk 88,65,608, alongside gold, silver and foreign currency from many countries. The tally of donations from devotees and visitors was announced formally.
On Saturday (October 24) evening, three cauldrons and five donation boxes of the shrine were opened. After the counting, Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Al Mamun announced the amount of money and valuables received.
According to the count, the gold received this time weighed 1 bhori and 8.5 ana, while the silver weighed 3 bhori and 13 ana. Alongside cash, these precious metals had also been deposited in the donation boxes by devotees.
The list of foreign currency is long as well. It includes 14 pounds, 7,647 Indian rupees, 20 Thai baht, 93 Saudi riyals, 11 Malaysian ringgit, 29 US dollars and 1,350.50 Omani baisa.
Also found were 65 UAE dirhams, 15 Maldivian rufiyaa, 17 Qatari riyals, 7 euros and 33 cents, 100 Bahraini fils, 10 Hong Kong dollars, 1 Brunei dollar, 55 Nepali rupees, 100 Pakistani rupees, 50 Russian roubles and 500 Sri Lankan rupees. The diversity reflects devotees arriving from many countries.
To ensure transparency in the shrine's financial management, a committee was formed on September 23. At a meeting of that committee, decisions were taken on how the shrine's money would be used.
Under the decision, 35 percent of the shrine's total income will be spent on its development work. The remaining 65 percent will be used to meet other expenses. The meeting was chaired by the committee's president and Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir.
Earlier too, the shrine's cauldrons and donation boxes were opened and the money counted at regular intervals. The same process was completed on June 22, July 11, August 15 and September 19.
As in the previous counts, the money found this time will be deposited in a newly opened bank account managed by the Deputy Commissioner. Under this arrangement, the record of the shrine's income is preserved centrally.
The shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) is one of the most well-known religious sites in Sylhet. Countless devotees and visitors come here every day not only from across the country but also from abroad, and many of them donate money to the donation boxes.
The large sums found each time the boxes are opened reflect people's devotion to the shrine. This time too, the process was followed under the supervision of the committee formed for transparency.
The process of spending the deposited money on the shrine's development and other sectors in the fixed proportions will now begin. The date of the next count will be known later, according to relevant sources.
