The teachers, follower of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi of Tabligh Jamaat, from Dhaka University, BUET, Jagannath University, and other government universities in Dhaka have presented a nine-point demand aimed at ensuring religious freedom and resolving differences among conflicting Tabligh groups.
At a press conference held on Monday at the National Press Club, they outlined their demands.
Professor Md. Nazim Uddin Bhuiyan from the Department of Accounting and Information Systems of University of Dhaka presented the written statement. Prof Nazim said, "Wehave observed that following the unfortunate incident at Tongi Ijtema ground on December 18, Maulana Saad's followers have faced individual and social attacks nationwide. In some cases, they are not even allowed to perform regular practices at mosques. Such incidents have created a grim situation in the country."
He added, "Saad's followers often face discrimination in matters related to the Ijtema event, allocation of prayer times at Kakrail Mosque, hosting foreign guests and senior leaders, the five-day gathering for veteran participants, and scheduling activities in district-level mosques and centers."
He emphasized the need to address these inequalities to ensure public safety, peace, and national progress.
To ensure justice and an equitable resolution, he presented nine demands to the chief adviser of the interim government, and the conscious citizens of the country.
The demands include- initiating efforts to resolve differences among conflicting groups to ensure everyone's religious freedom, conducting a judicial inquiry into the Tongi ground incident, releasing innocent detainees arrested during the incident, allowing both groups to conduct dawah activities with their senior leaders, ensuring equitable allocation of prayer times at Kakrail Mosque, dividing the Tongi Ijtema grounds equally between both groups, equitably scheduling activities at other mosques in the country, monitoring and taking legal action if any group obstructs another's practices in mosques and taking necessary measures to ensure the peaceful and disciplined conduct of Maulana Saad's followers' Ijtema on the pre-announced from February 7 to 9.
Former Dhaka University Professor Manjurul Haque, Associate Professor Dr. Asif Monirul Islam from the Department of International Business, BUET Professor Dr. Shafiul Bari, Associate Professor Dr. Sultan Ahmed, Jahangirnagar University Associate Professor Mahmudur Rahman, and Jagannath University Associate Professor Dr. A.N.M. Asaduzzaman Fakir from the Department of Accounting and Information Systems attended the press conference.
