Islamic leaders at a Dhaka rally have called for a ban on the Saad-led faction of Tablighi Jamaat

At a gathering in Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan, a faction of Tablighi Jamaat issued a list of demands, including a ban on all activities of the rival group led by Indian preacher Saad Kandhlawi.

The event, held on Tuesday, attracted a massive crowd as Maulana Mahfuzul Haque, chief patron of the Shaykhul Hadith Council and secretary general of Befaq, presented nine primary demands. Although there was no official announcement, many attendees belonged to the faction led by Maulana Zubair, which has been in conflict with Saad's followers for years. Both groups initially announced parallel gatherings at Suhrawardy Udyan earlier in the week, escalating tensions. However, the Saad faction later withdrew after government mediation.

The divide within Tablighi Jamaat, rooted in ideological disagreements with central leader Saad Kandhlawi, surfaced in 2017 and has since influenced major events like the Bishwa Ijtema, which the factions now hold separately.

During the conference, Maulana Mahfuzul outlined nine key demands:

• Conducting Qawmi education under the oversight of Darul Uloom Deoband, halting interference or conspiracies against Tablighi Jamaat
• Making religious education compulsory in the national curriculum
• Withdrawing cases filed against Islamic scholars by the former government
• Prosecuting those responsible for the Shapla Chattar incident and dismissing fabricated cases nationwide
• Holding accountable those involved in the 2018 Tongi attacks by the Saad faction
• Banning Maulana Saad and his followers from entering the country due to alleged criticism of the Prophet Muhammad (SM) and companions, as well as deviation from Tablighi principles
• Organizing the two-phase Bishwa Ijtema on January 27-29 and February 7-9 under scholar leadership
• Preventing the Saad faction from operating at Kakrail Mosque, reserving management for the Shura Council alone
• Officially declaring the Ahmadiyya community as non-Muslim

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

Earlier, Bangladesh Nizam-e-Islam leader Azizul Haque accused the Saad faction of conspiring around the upcoming Bishwa Ijtema. “Saad and his self-proclaimed followers are plotting to cause disruption during the Bishwa Ijtema. We will stop their plans at any cost. The government must heed the declarations of religious scholars on the Bishwa Ijtema, as no other arrangements will be acceptable to the faithful,” he declared.

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

Junaid Al Habib, joint secretary of Hifazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, stated, “After 15 years of struggle against oppressive forces, we have supported this government. If anyone dares to challenge us, we will confront them.” He emphasized, “Scholars will guide the nation, and the Tablighi leadership must come from among them.”

When asked for his response, Mufti Muhammad Azeemuddin, imam of Kakrail Markaz, “We are untroubled by the scholars’ statements; similar comments have been made before.”

The gathering, which started early in the morning, created substantial traffic congestion in and around Suhrawardy Udyan as participants arrived by bus and truck from Dhaka and nearby districts. Police placed barricades at Shahbagh and closed specific roads to control the crowd. 

Frustrated citizens expressed concerns on social media over the traffic disruptions caused by the event across Dhaka.