A faction of the Tabligh Jamaat loyal to Maulana Saad Kandhalvi yesterday demanded that the Indian scholar be allowed to attend the next Biswa Ijtema and lead the first phase of the annual congregation.

The demand follows a nine-point demand issued by Ulama Mashayekh Bangladesh in Suhrawardy Udyan, the capital, on Tuesday, calling for a ban on Maulana Saad and his supporters in Bishwa Ijtema.

Ulama Mashayekh Bangladesh is said to be aligned with Zubair-ul-Hassan, another Indian Islamic scholar and fourth Amir of the Tabligh Jamaat in India.

At a press conference, the pro-Saad group also proposed an open debate involving Islamic scholars to combat the “confusion” and “disinformation” allegedly propagated by Zubair’s rival faction.

Azim Uddin, the khatib of Kakrail Mosque and a supporter of Maulana Saad, said their group operates under the banner “Ulema and General Members of Dawat and Tabligh”, which is apolitical and follows peaceful principles.

Azim Uddin accused the Zubair faction of “influencing academics and using madrasa students to create discord”, which he said undermined religious harmony.

He also criticized the Zubair faction’s rally at Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday, alleging that “false and misleading statements” were made, causing confusion among the public. According to Azim, the pro-Saad group had called for unity on November 3, but “the provocations of the Zubair faction” fueled divisions within the Tabligh Jamaat.

The debate proposed by the pro-Saad faction would include prominent academics such as Maulana Arshad Madani of Darul Uloom Deoband and Pakistani Mufti Taqi Usmani as moderators. The event is expected to take place at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and government advisors, law enforcement officials and media representatives are expected to attend the event, according to the press conference.

The pro-Saad faction said that if the event took place, it would be broadcast live.

Additionally, the pro-Saad group, which describes itself as the “traditional” Tabligh Jamaat, demanded that control of the Kakrail mosque and the Biswa Ijtema land be handed over to them.

They also called for speedy legal action against complaints filed against members of the Zubair faction following the deaths of two Tabligh members in Tongi Ijtema in 2018, as well as incidents that resulted in injuries and casualties. in Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria and Dhaka.

The faction further demanded a ban on controversial speeches in mosques in Bangladesh, in a bid to prevent any incitement of hatred among supporters.