Zubair group calls for national protest on January 10, demands action against Saad faction

Followers of Maulana Zubair, a key faction of the Tablighi Jamaat in Bangladesh, have called for a nationwide protest on January 10. 

They are demanding the arrest, trial, and ban of the Saad faction. 

This announcement was made during a press conference at the Kakrail Mosque in Dhaka on Saturday, January 4.

Maulana Nazmul Hasan Kasemi, a leading figure in the Zubair group, accused the Saad faction of being behind a violent attack at the Ijtema grounds in Tongi, Gazipur. 

The group claims that the Saad faction‍‍`s actions were harmful and destructive to the peace within the community. 

Kasemi said, "If these demands are not met, we will organize a conference with scholars from all over the country on January 25 to announce our next course of action."

Kasemi also recalled a similar incident in 2018, where violence at the same Ijtema grounds resulted in deaths. 

He suggested that had justice been served for the earlier attacks, the most recent incident, which occurred in December 2024, could have been avoided. 

He warned that if the perpetrators were not held accountable, such violent events could happen again in the future. 

He further accused the Saad faction of having connections with "both international and domestic evil forces," urging the government to take immediate action against them.

Maulana Mamunul Haque, the General Secretary of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, addressed the situation as a religious scholar, not as a leader of Hefazat-e-Islam. 

He emphasized that decisions related to Islamic issues should be made by scholars based on the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah. 

Haque also mentioned that efforts to mediate between the two factions had been made by religious scholars, with the government‍‍`s involvement in trying to resolve the matter.

Haque strongly condemned the killings that took place at the Ijtema grounds, stating that those responsible should be held accountable. 

He also touched on a controversial comment made by an individual in India regarding Tablighi Jamaat, warning that such issues should not be imported into Bangladesh. 

He called for national unity to resolve the ongoing conflict and urged everyone to focus on the bigger picture while ensuring justice for the victims.

Finally, Haque confirmed that the first phase of the Ijtema at Tongi would take place on January 31, and preparations were already in full swing to ensure it goes ahead as planned.