Islamic leaders call for ban on Saad-led Tablighi Jamaat faction at Dhaka rally

They also demand that religious education be made mandatory in the national curriculum and the withdrawal of all cases against Islamic scholars

A faction of the Tablighi Jamaat has set out a series of demands, including a ban on all activities of its rival group led by Indian preacher Saad Kandhlawi, at a gathering at Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan.

The event on Tuesday saw a massive turnout as Maulana Mahfuzul Haque, chief patron of the Shaykhul Hadith Council and secretary general of Befaq, outlined a list of nine demands.

While no official announcement was made, many attendees were from the faction led by Maulana Zubair, who have been at loggerheads with Saad's disciples for years.

Earlier in the week, both factions had announced duelling gatherings at Suhrawardy Udyan, raising tensions. But the Saad faction later backed out after government mediation.

The rift within Tablighi Jamaat, sparked by ideological disagreements with central leader Saad Kandhlawi, first came into the open in 2017 and has continued to affect events like the Bishwa Ijtema, which the two factions have since conducted separately.

At the conference, Maulana Mahfuzul laid out nine key demands, which are:-

· Conducting Qawmi education under the supervision of Darul Uloom Deoband, and stopping any interference or conspiracy against the Tablighi Jamaat

· Making religious education mandatory in the national curriculum

· Withdrawing all cases filed against Islamic scholars by the previous government

· Bringing to justice those responsible for the Shapla Chattar incident and withdrawal of false cases filed across the country

· Ensuring accountability for the Saad faction’s attacks in Tongi in 2018

· Barring Maulana Saad and his followers from entering the country due to their alleged criticism of the Prophet Muhammad (SM) and companions and non-compliance with Tablighi principles

· Facilitate the two-phase Bishwa Ijtema, scheduled for Jan 27-29 and Feb 7-9, under the leadership of scholars

· Barring the Saad faction from operating at Kakrail Mosque, which should be managed exclusively by the Shura Council

· Officially declaring the Ahmadiyya community as non-Muslim

The Islamic conference concluded with a prayer led by Shah Muhammad Muhibullah Babunagari around 1:30pm.

Earlier, Bangladesh Nizam-e-Islam leader Azizul Haque claimed that the Saad faction was plotting a “conspiracy” surrounding the upcoming Bishwa Ijtema.

“Saad and his self-proclaimed followers are planning to create disorder around the Bishwa Ijtema. We won’t let this happen. We will thwart all their plots at any cost. The government must follow the declarations made here by the religious scholars about the Bishwa Ijtema. The faithful will not accept any alternatives,” he said.

Maulana Abdul Hamid added, “The government is considering consulting both sides about Bishwa Ijtema. I say, what consultation? The government must implement the decision made here today. Any other approach could lead to serious consequences.”

Junaid Al Habib, joint secretary of Hifazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, said, “We have installed this government after 15 years of struggle against fascist forces. If anyone dares to threaten us, we will confront them.”

He added, “The scholars will be the nation’s guides, and the leader of Tabligh will come from among them, no one else.”

When asked for his reaction, Mufti Muhammad Azeemuddin, imam of Kakrail Markaz, told bdnews24.com, “We are not troubled at all by the statements of the respected scholars. They have made similar remarks before.”

The gathering, which began early in the morning, caused significant traffic disruptions in and around Suhrawardy Udyan as attendees arrived by bus and truck from Dhaka and surrounding areas.

Police placed barricades at Shahbagh and closed certain roads to manage the crowd.

Citizens voiced their frustrations on social media over the event's impact on traffic across the city.