The Home Ministry has removed restrictions on the activities of both factions of Tabligh
Recent tensions between supporters of Indian preacher Maulana Md Saad Kandhalvi and senior cleric Maulana Zubair Ahmed had resulted in the imposition of restrictions on their activities.
Two days after imposing restrictions on their activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs has lifted the limitations on the programs of the two factions of Tablighi Jamaat—those supporting Indian preacher Maulana Md Saad Kandhalvi and those backing senior cleric Maulana Zubair Ahmed.
The ministry issued a notice on Sunday, addressing overnight activities by Tabligh at Kakrail Mosque and the need to maintain peace and order. The notice requested both conflicting groups to continue their activities at the mosques where Maulana Zubair Ahmed and Maulana Saad have been conducting their respective Tablighi Jamaat activities in the past.
On December 24, the ministry had instructed Zubair’s followers to avoid large congregations around Kakrail Mosque on December 27. The same notice also directed Saad’s supporters to halt all Tabligh activities, including staying overnight at Kakrail Mosque, until further notice.
Since November 15, Saad’s supporters have been gathering at Tabligh's Markaz in Dhaka, announcing a two-week sit-in at Kakrail Mosque. Meanwhile, Zubair’s followers launched an indefinite sit-in protest in Kakrail starting Thursday to pressure authorities into banning Saad's followers and to advocate for their three-point demand. They also declared that pro-Saad groups should be prohibited from holding activities at the Bishwa Ijtema grounds in Tongi and the Kakrail Mosque, the main Tabligh center.
Tensions between the two factions escalated after a violent clash on December 17 at the Ijtema ground on the banks of the Turag River, which led to three deaths.
Zubair's supporters are demanding that the state ban all pro-Saad activities, arrest those involved in the Tongi attack, and ensure that all Tabligh activities, including those at Kakrail and Tongi, come under the “Shuraye Nizam.”
On December 24, Kefayetullah Azhari, principal of Jamiatul Manhal Al Qawmia Madrasah in Uttara, raised these three demands at a press conference and announced the indefinite sit-in protest in Kakrail starting Thursday morning.
The split between the two Tabligh factions dates back to 2017, when Saad’s controversial speech criticizing the practice of accepting payment for reciting prayers and the Quran led to a division. This rift has deepened over time, with the group’s annual Bishwa Ijtema now held in two phases to accommodate both factions.
The December 17 clash marked a significant escalation in the dispute, with both sides blaming each other for the violence. Zubair's supporters, identifying themselves with the Shuraye Nizam, have since increased calls for government intervention.
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