In Bangladesh, the Islamic Conference at Dhaka’s historic Suhrawardy Udyan has concluded with the announcement of a nine-point demand, which includes the prevention of Saad Kandhalvi’s entry into the country. Thousands of people, primarily madrasah teachers and students, gathered at the venue on Tuesday morning, where the Islamic scholars announced their demands to the government via loudspeakers.
Muhammad Saad Kandhalvi is an Indian Muslim scholar and preacher, and he is the great-grandson of Tablighi Jamaat founder Muhammad Ilyas Kandhalwi. He currently heads the Nizamuddin faction of the Tablighi Jamaat.
The attendees also demanded justice for the recent attack on innocent students by Kandhalvi’s supporters at the Tongi Ijtema venue. Other demands included restricting the entry of Kandhalvi’s supporters at the Kakrail Mosque, officially declaring the Qadianis as non-Muslims in Bangladesh, seeking justice for the 2013 Shapla Chattar killings, and the withdrawal of all false cases against Islamic scholars, as reported by United News of Bangladesh (UNB).
Supporters of the late Maulana Zubair ul Hassan organized this rally in opposition to Maulana Muhammad Saad Al Kandhalvi of Delhi, a prominent figure in the Tablighi Jamaat. Speaking at the event, Islamic leaders emphasized the importance of unity within the Muslim community and called for strict adherence to Islamic principles.
They insisted that the Bishwa Ijtema should be held in one phase, rather than two. The speakers also stated that people would never accept anything counterfeit, highlighting the government’s responsibility to prevent counterfeiting. They asserted that the counterfeit version of the Tablighi Jamaat must not continue, as it has previously benefitted from collusion with the past fascist government and must be resisted, especially with the current interim government in power.
A Bangladeshi Deobandi Islamic scholar, Shah Mohammad Mohibullah Babunagari, conducted prayers following the event.
Earlier in the day, thousands of Tablighi Jamaat followers began gathering at Suhrawardy Udyan as early as dawn. By midday, the venue and surrounding areas were overflowing with attendees.
Meanwhile, the influx of vehicles, primarily long-route buses transporting attendees from various districts, caused severe gridlock in the surrounding areas since morning, leading to significant disruptions throughout Dhaka.
By – Navalsang Parmar (Dhaka)