3 dead, several injured in violent clashes between Tabligh Jamaat factions in Tongi; BGB deployed

At least three people were killed, and several others injured after a violent clash broke out between two factions of Tabligh Jamaat at the Bishwa Ijtema grounds in Tongi. 

The conflict erupted over the control of the religious gathering site on the banks of the Turag River.

To control the situation, four platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed, with each platoon comprising around 30 members.

Gazipur Police Commissioner Md. Nazmul Karim Khan, who was at the scene on Wednesday morning (December 18), confirmed that the clashes began around 3 AM on Tuesday night. So far, three deaths have been reported.

The victims have been identified as Bachchu Mia, 70, from Egarasindu, Kishoreganj; Belal Hossain, 55, from Dakshinkhan, Dhaka; and Mohammad Tajul Islam, 65, a follower of Maulana Saad from Bogura.

Several others were injured in the skirmish, including individuals named Abdur Rouf (55), Mojibur Rahman (58), Abdul Hannan (60), Zahurul Islam (38), Arif (34), Faisal (28), Tarikul (42), Shahed (44), Ukil Mia (58), and many others. Some were taken to local hospitals, while others were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

A correspondent from Bdnews24.com, stationed at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, reported that the body of Belal Hossain had been brought to the hospital after the clash. 

According to Md. Faruk, an inspector at the hospital police outpost, Belal was initially taken to a local hospital but was later transferred to Dhaka Medical’s emergency department at 5:30 AM, where doctors declared him dead.

At least 11 other people are currently receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital due to injuries from the clash.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) Habib Iskandar of Tongi West Police Station said that Maulana Zubair Ahmed’s followers were at the Ijtema grounds on Tuesday when followers of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi arrived from the western bank of the Turag River, entering the grounds through various routes.

Tensions flared when Zubair’s followers inside the grounds began throwing bricks and stones at Saad’s supporters, leading to a retaliatory attack. The clash quickly escalated, with both groups engaging in violent confrontations. 

Law enforcement, including police and army personnel, arrived at the scene to bring the situation under control.

Many of the injured were rushed to Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital in Tongi and nearby medical facilities for treatment.

The OC further assured that the situation is now under control, and police are working to maintain law and order.

Syed Wasiful Islam, a senior leader of the Saad faction, explained, “We were preparing for our Jor Ijtema, scheduled to start on December 20 at the Ijtema grounds in Tongi. 

People from across the country had started gathering near the grounds in preparation.

“Zubair’s followers, seeing our preparations, launched an attack on our people, arriving in vehicles from outside. A clash broke out, and eventually, our people entered the Ijtema grounds. A violent confrontation occurred between the two groups there.”

The divide between the two Tabligh Jamaat factions—one led by Maulana Saad Kandhalvi from Delhi and the other by Maulana Zubair Ahmed from Bangladesh’s Kakrail Markaz—has been ongoing since 2019.

Previously, the Bishwa Ijtema was held as a single event. However, disagreements between the two groups led to it being divided into two phases. After being paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, the event resumed in 2022, continuing with the two-phase system.

This year’s Bishwa Ijtema will again take place in two phases at the Turag River bank in Tongi. The first phase, from January 31 to February 2, 2025, will feature Maulana Zubair’s followers, while Maulana Saad’s followers will gather from February 7 to 9, 2025.

On November 17, 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed these dates.

The first-phase organizers are required to hand over the Ijtema grounds to the preparation committee, led by Dhaka’s divisional commissioner, by 3 PM on February 4. 

The second-phase organizers will then take control and return the grounds by February 11.

Tensions have been high between the two factions, leading to repeated confrontations.

On November 5, Zubair’s followers, identifying themselves as the "Shura Nizam," made a nine-point demand at a conference in Suhrawardy Udyan, calling for a ban on Saad’s followers.

Then, on November 12, Zubair’s faction threatened to shut down Dhaka within 24 hours if Saad’s followers were allowed into the Kakrail Mosque or the Ijtema grounds in Tongi.

Despite the tensions, a large gathering of Saad’s followers took place at the Kakrail Mosque on November 15, following an agreement between the two groups. 

Saad’s faction began a two-week stay, while Zubair’s followers were granted a four-week stay.

From November 29 to December 3, 2024, Maulana Zubair’s followers held a five-day Jor Ijtema at the Tongi Ijtema grounds. 

Maulana Saad’s followers had planned their own Jor Ijtema, scheduled to begin on December 20.

However, on December 13, Zubair’s followers staged a protest, blocking the Tongi-Kaliganj road, demanding that Saad’s faction be prevented from holding their Jor Ijtema. 

They also submitted a memorandum to the Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner to press their demands.

This isn’t the first time such violence has occurred. In 2018, a similar conflict over the Jor Ijtema resulted in the death of a 70-year-old man and left over 200 people injured.