Home ministry lifts restrictions on activities of both Tabligh factions

Tensions between supporters of Indian preacher Maulana Md Saad Kandhalvi and those of senior cleric Maulana Zubair Ahmed had led to recent restrictions on activities

Two days after imposing restrictions on their activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs has removed the limitations on the programmes of the Tablighi Jamaat factions composed of supporters of Indian preacher Maulana Md Saad Kandhalvi and those of senior cleric Maulana Zubair Ahmed.

The ministry issued a notice in this regard on Sunday, the subject of which was overnight activities by the Tabligh in Kakrail Mosque and maintaining the peace and order.

"In order to maintain peace and order, the two conflicting parties are requested to continue their activities in the mosques where Maulana Zubair Ahmed and Maulana Saad have been conducting their respective Tablighi Jamaat activities in the district and the Upazila in the past."

On Dec 24, the home ministry had requested Zubair’s supporters to refrain from large congregations around Kakrail Mosque on Friday, Dec 27.

In the same notice, the ministry had ordered Saad followers to refrain from all Tabligh activities, including spending the night at the Kakrail Mosque, until further instructions.

Saad loyalists have been gathering at Tabligh’s Markaz in Dhaka since Nov 15 after announcing a two-week sit-in programme at the Kakrail Mosque.

Meanwhile, followers of Zubair announced an indefinite sit-in protest in Kakrail from Thursday to mount pressure on authorities to ban Saad loyalists and push for their three-point charter of demand.

They also announced that pro-Saad groups will not be allowed to hold any activities at the Bishwa Ijtema grounds in Tongi, and the Kakrail Mosque, the main centre of the Tabligh.

Tensions have been ongoing since the clash between the two sides of the Tabligh Jamaat over the occupation of the Ijtema ground on the banks of Turag River on the night of Dec 17, which resulted in the loss of three lives.

Zubair's followers demand that all pro-Saad activities should be banned by the state; those involved in the attack in Tongi should be arrested and brought to justice; and it should be ensured that all Tabligh activities, including the Kakrail Markaz and the Tongi Ijtema ground, be brought under the “Shuraye Nizam.”

Kefayetullah Azhari, the principal of Jamiatul Manhal Al Qawmia Madrasah in Uttara raised the three demands at a press conference on Dec 24. He announced an indefinite sit-in protest in the Kakrail area from Thursday morning to push for the demands.

The division between the two factions of Tabligh Jamaat dates back to 2017, when a controversial speech by Saad criticised the practice of accepting payment for reciting prayers and the Quran. The remarks sparked a split among followers that has deepened over the years.

Since the division, the group’s annual Bishwa Ijtema, one of the largest Muslim congregations globally, has been held in two phases to accommodate the rival factions.

The Dec 17 clash marked a turning point in the dispute, with each side blaming the other for the violence. Zubair’s supporters, who identify themselves as adherents of the Shuraye Nizam, have since intensified calls for government intervention.