ছবি: Security tightened at Kakrail Mosque since morning. Photo: Collected
Tensions have re-emerged at Kakrail’s Markaz Mosque in Dhaka as supporters of the Tabligh Jamaat's Saad and Jubair factions prepare for overlapping gatherings. Pro-Saad followers entered the mosque Friday morning after announcing plans to hold their religious activities there, prompting a heavy security deployment from early morning to prevent potential clashes.
Since the longstanding split in the Tabligh Jamaat movement seven years ago, Dhaka's Kakrail Mosque has operated under a government-mediated schedule, allowing the Jubair faction to use the mosque for four weeks and the Saad faction for two weeks in rotation. However, Pro-Saad followers have continued to contest this arrangement.
On November 4, following a meeting at the Secretariat, the government announced that the 58th World Ijtema would be held in two phases: the first phase from January 31 to February 2 and the second from February 7 to 9. In contrast, on November 5, leaders from the Jubair faction, at a gathering of Olama Mashayekh Bangladesh held in Suhrawardy Udyan, demanded that Ijtema be conducted as a single event instead of two separate phases. The Jubair faction also declared its intention to occupy the Tongi Ijtema grounds and Kakrail Mosque starting November 15, fueling renewed tensions.
At a press conference hosted by Olama Mashayekh Bangladesh on November 12 at the National Press Club, representatives issued a warning, threatening to paralyze Dhaka within 24 hours if the government attempted to grant any privileges to the Saad faction concerning the Kakrail Mosque or the Tongi Ijtema site.
The Saad faction responded with its own press conference on November 13, emphasizing that the Jubair faction already occupies part of the Kakrail Mosque throughout the year under the guise of a madrasa. They called for a government-mediated solution to the dispute, advocating for a peaceful coexistence where both factions can conduct separate programs at Kakrail, the Ijtema, and across the country, to prevent further conflict.
Later that evening, Olama Mashayekh Bangladesh issued an "urgent statement" confirming that discussions were held with senior government officials on Tuesday. Following extensive deliberation, the Home and Religious Advisors jointly announced plans to pursue a permanent resolution to the Tabligh Jamaat’s factional issue by April 2025.
In the interest of national unity, Olama Mashayekh Bangladesh and Kakrail representatives agreed to maintain the current rotation schedule at Kakrail Mosque until next April and pledged their cooperation with the government.
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