A faction of Tablighi Jamaat loyalists to Maulana Saad Kandhalvi yesterday demanded that the Indian scholar be allowed to attend the upcoming Biswa Ijtema and conduct the first phase of the annual congregation.

The demand came in response to a nine-point demand by Ulama Mashayekh Bangladesh on Tuesday, calling for a ban on Maulana Saad and his followers in Bishwa Ijtema in the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan.

Ulama Meshayekh Bangladesh is reportedly aligned with Zubair-ul-Hassan, another Indian Islamic scholar and the fourth emir of Tablighi Jamaat in India.

At a press conference, the pro-Saad group proposed holding an open discussion with Islamic scholars to address the “confusion” and “misinformation” allegedly spread by the rival Zubair group.

Azim Uddin, the orator of Kakrail Mosque and supporter of Maulana Saad, said that their group operates under the banner of “Dawat and Tabligh Ulema and General Members” following apolitical and peaceful principles.

Azim Uddin accused the Zubair group of “influencing academics and using madrassa students to create discord” and claimed that it was undermining religious harmony.

He also criticized the meeting of the Zubair group in Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday and claimed that “incorrect and misleading statements” were made and this caused confusion among the public. According to Azim, the pro-Saad group had called for unity on November 3, but “the provocations of the Zubair group” fueled the division within Tablighi Jamaat.

The proposed debate of the pro-Saad group will have prominent scholars like Maulana Arshad Madani of Darul Uloom Deoband and Mufti of Pakistan Taqi Usmani as moderators. According to the press conference, the event is proposed to be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and government advisors, law enforcement officials and media representatives are expected to attend the event.

The pro-Saad group said that if the airing takes place, it will be broadcast live.

Additionally, the pro-Saad group, which describes itself as the “mainstream” Tablighi Jamaat, demanded that they be given control of the Kakrail Mosque and Biswa Ijtema area.

They also called for swift legal action against cases filed against Zubair group members following the death of two Tablighi members in Tongi Ijtema in 2018, as well as incidents in Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria and Dhaka that led to injuries and deaths.

The group also demanded a ban on divisive speeches in mosques across Bangladesh to prevent incitement among its followers.