Tabligh infighting: 5 advisers sit with Saad supporters

Five advisers from the interim government held a meeting with followers of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi following deadly clashes over control of the Bishwa Ijtema Maidan. 

The meeting, chaired by Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, began at 11:15 am on Wednesday (December 18) at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Present at the meeting were Land Adviser AF Hasan Arif, Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md. Nahid Islam, and Religious Affairs Adviser AKM Khalid Hossain, alongside four leaders from Saad’s faction. Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan was also expected to join later.

The first phase of the Bishwa Ijtema, scheduled from January 31 to February 2, will be led by followers of Maulana Mohammad Zubair (Shurai Nejam), while the second phase, from February 7 to 9, will be organized by Maulana Saad’s followers.

Tensions flared on Tuesday when Saad’s supporters attempted to enter the Ijtema Maidan ahead of a planned five-day gathering from December 20. Zubair’s followers, already occupying the Maidan, resisted the entry. Around 3 am, hundreds of Saad supporters breached the Kamarpara Bridge and forced their way into the grounds, leading to violent clashes that left three dead.

As the situation escalates, government efforts are underway to mediate and prevent further conflict ahead of the major religious event.