Office of the Waqf Administrator

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}

{{Infobox government agency

| agency_name = Office of the Waqf Administrator

| native_name_a = বাংলাদেশ ওয়াক্‌ফ প্রশাসকের কার্যালয়

| type =

| seal = Government Seal of Bangladesh.svg

| seal_width = 150px

| seal_caption = Government Seal of Bangladesh

| image =

| formed = {{start date and age|1988}}

| preceding2 =

| dissolved =

| superseding =

| jurisdiction = Bangladesh

| headquarters = 4 New Eskaton Road, Dhaka-1000

| budget =

| chief1_name = Dr. Md. Golam Kabir

| chief1_position = Waqf Administrator

| chief2_name = Anisur Rahman

| chief2_position = Deputy Administrator

| chief3_name = Md. Mehdi Hasan

| chief3_position = Deputy Administrator

| parent_agency = Ministry of Religious Affairs

| parent_department = Government of Bangladesh

| website = {{URL|www.waqf.gov.bd}}

}}

The Office of the Waqf Administrator ({{Langx|bn|বাংলাদেশ ওয়াক্‌ফ প্রশাসকের কার্যালয়}}) is a Bangladesh government regulatory agency under the Ministry of Religious Affairs responsible for administration of Waqf properties. According to Islam, individuals can permanently donate movable or immovable property to charity and it is the responsibility to manage the Waqf and ensure its run according to the wish of the donor.{{cite web |title=Introduction of Waqf Administration |url=http://www.waqf.gov.bd/site/page/52fc3a16-b925-4a70-9801-32462fb29f4b/Introduction-of-Waqf-Administration |website=waqf.gov.bd |access-date=15 July 2019 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Sabuktagin |first1=Raihan |title=Land dispute between two ministries brings bane to plot allottees |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2007/07/23/d707232504132.htm |access-date=15 July 2019 |work=The Daily Star}}

History

In 1986, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics calculated that there were 150,593 Waqfs in Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh established the Office of the Waqf Administrator to manage those properties. It replaced a smaller organization formed in 1962 by the Waqfs Ordinance.{{cite web |title=Waqfs Ordinance, 1962 (East Pakistan Ordinance No. I of 1962). |url=http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/print_sections_all.php?id=326 |website=bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd |access-date=15 July 2019}} The administrator is responsible for managing 70,955 acres but it faces difficulty due to shortages in funding and personnel.{{cite news |title=WAQF - A Forgotten Legacy |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/waqf-forgotten-legacy-1538539 |access-date=15 July 2019 |work=The Daily Star |date=23 February 2018 |language=en}} On 6 November 2017, the Anti-Corruption Commission arrested an officer of the Office of the Administrator of Waqfs while he was taking 50,000 bribe.{{cite news |title=ACC arrests waqfs official red-handed for bribery |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/city/acc-arrests-waqfs-official-red-handed-bribery-1487041 |access-date=15 July 2019 |work=The Daily Star |date=6 November 2017 |language=en}}

References