Ulama Mashayekh Bangladesh, a platform of Qawmi madrasas across the country, yesterday put forward a nine-point demand, including banning Maulana Saad Kandhalvi and his followers from participating in the upcoming Biswa Ijtema.

It made the demand at a mammoth rally at the capital's Suhrawardy Udyan.

Almost all the speakers at the rally, including Shah Muhibullah Babunagari and Sajedur Rahman, were from Hefajat-e-Islam, a Qawmi madrasa-based organisation.

The event was organised to put pressure on the interim government to bar Saad Kandhalvi from attending the Ijtema, said insiders in Hefajat.

The Ijtema, one of the largest congregations of Muslims, will be held in two phases between January 31 and February 9 next year.

According to sources in the home ministry, the government wanted the two Tablighi Jamaat factions, led by Maulana Zubair Hassan and Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, to hold next year's Ijtema jointly.

The ministry had taken the initiative to sit with the leaders of the two factions on Monday, but the Zubair-led group did not show up.

Addressing yesterday's rally, Hefajat Ameer Shah Muhibullah Babunagari said they will not allow Saad Kandhalvi to enter Bangladesh unless he repents his "controversial" statements.

"He [Saad] should not be allowed to enter Bangladesh until he wins the confidence of the Alems [Islamic scholars]. The Biswa Ijtema in Tongi must be organised under the supervision of Islamic scholars, and the activities of the Kakrail Markaz should be run under the guidance of the Ulema."

Muhibullah said the interim government should look into the matter to make the right decision.

The Hefajat chief's speech was read out by a speaker. A total of 65 Islamic leaders from across the country spoke at the rally.

Although the programme began at 9:00am, thousands of people started pouring into the venue since the early hours.

NINE-POINT DEMAND

At the rally, Islamic scholars presented a nine-point demand, including banning the activities of Saad's supporters at the Kakrail Mosque and the Biswa Ijtema, and declaring the Qadianis [Ahmadiyya Mulims] in Bangladesh non-Muslims.

The other demands of Ulama Mashayekh Bangladesh include making religious education mandatory at all levels under the general education boards, and withdrawing "false" cases filed against Islamicscholars during the rule of the previous Awami League government.

Mahfuzul Haque, secretary general of Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasa Education Board, announced that the next year's Biswa Ijtema will be held in two phases -- from January 31 to February 2, and from February 7-9.

He demanded a trial for the Shapla Chattar "massacre" in 2013.

"On December 1, 2018, supporters of Saad Kandhalvi with the help of some police officers, launched an attack on a group of madrasa students and teachers who were preparing the Ijtema ground in Tongi. We demand exemplary punishment for the attackers and their cohorts."

Mahfuzul also said the activities at the Kakrail Mosque and the Biswa Ijtema ground willbe run under the supervision of Islamicscholars.

Abdul Hamid, ameer of Khatme Nabuwat Protection Committee Bangladesh, said the government should not pay heed to the demands of Saad's supporters. "If you listen to them, you will also have to flee like Sheikh Hasina."

Hefajat Secretary General Sajedur Rahman said religious scholars will continue cooperating with the interim government, and they will make the final decisions on religious matters.

The rally concluded around 1:30pm following a munajat (prayer) led by Hefajat chief Muhibullah.

Hundreds of scholars from Qawmi madrasas across the country joined the rally. The gathering caused significant traffic disruptions in and around theSuhrawardy Udyan area.