Zakat Donors’ Distributive Preferences in Bangladesh: Immediate Relief versus Strategic Empowerment

Despite the growing institutional shift toward productive Zakat models in Southeast Asia, the distributive preferences of individual donors in transitionary economies like Bangladesh remain under-researched. This study examines whether donors prioritize “Immediate Relief” (consumptive aid) or “Strategic Benefits” (long-term productive empowerment). Utilizing a quantitative cross-sectional survey of 78 Zakat donors in Bangladesh, the data were analyzed using Paired Samples T-tests, One-Way ANOVA, and Simple Linear Regression. The findings reveal a statistically significant preference for Strategic Benefits (M=4.28) over Immediate Relief (M=3.93). Perceived effectiveness of human capital investment (M=4.15) was also found more strategic.. Furthermore, institutional trust was identified as a critical predictor of strategic intention (R2=0.174, p < .001). Demographic analysis showed that donors with general education backgrounds and those in professional sectors (Service and Business) prefer strategic models more than those in agriculture or purely religious education. The study concludes that while donors favor long-term empowerment, building institutional trust is essential to transitioning Zakat from an emergency stop-gap to a sustainable tool for poverty alleviation in Bangladesh.