Tabligh Jamaat faction calls for Maulana Saad’s presence at Biswa Ijtema

A faction of Tabligh Jamaat loyal to Indian scholar Maulana Saad Kandhalvi called for his presence at the upcoming Biswa Ijtema, and proposed leading the first phase of the annual congregation at a press conference today.
The press conference came in response to a nine-point demand issued by Ulama Mashayekh Bangladesh at the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday, calling for a ban on Maulana Saad and his followers at the upcoming Bishwa Ijtema.
Ulama Mashayekh Bangladesh is reportedly aligned with Zubair-ul-Hassan, another Indian Islamic scholar and the fourth amir of Tabligh Jamaat in India.
The pro-Saad group also proposed an open debate involving Islamic scholars to address “confusion” and “misinformation” allegedly propagated by the rival Zubair faction.
Azim Uddin, the khatib of Kakrail Mosque and a supporter of Maulana Saad, said that their group was operating under the banner “Dawat and Tabligh’s Ulama and General Members,” and emphasised Tabligh Jamaat’s apolitical and peaceful principles.
Azim Uddin accused the Zubair faction of “influencing scholars and using madrasa students to create discord,” which he claimed undermines religious harmony.
He also criticised the Zubair faction’s gathering at Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday, alleging that “false and misleading statements” were made, leading to public confusion. According to Azim, the pro-Saad group had called for unity on November 3, but “provocations from the Zubair faction” have fueled division within the Tabligh Jamaat.
The pro-Saad faction’s proposed debate would include prominent scholars such as Maulana Arshad Madani of Darul Uloom Deoband and Pakistan’s Mufti Taqi Usmani as moderators. The event, which would be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, would be attended by government advisors, law enforcement, and media representatives, and broadcast live, according to the press conference.
In addition, the pro-Saad group, which describes itself as the “mainstream” Tabligh Jamaat, demanded a return of control over Kakrail Mosque and the Biswa Ijtema grounds.
They also called for swift legal action on cases filed against Zubair faction members following the deaths of two Tabligh members at the Tongi Ijtema in 2018, as well as in incidents that led to injuries and casualties in Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria, and Dhaka.
The faction further requested a ban on divisive speeches in mosques across Bangladesh, aiming to prevent incitement among followers.