Followers of Maulana Saad Kandhlavi, the global Amir of Tablig Jamaat and leader of its one faction, held a press conference at the National Press Club (NPC) in the capital on Wednesday, a day after a massive rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan by the other faction.
Challenging the followers of Maulana Zubair, the Saad followers made a five-point demand, including the presence of Saad Kandhlavi at the Bishwa Ijtema in February.
Their demands also included providing them with the responsibility to hold the first phase of the Ijtema, abolishing the discrimination within the Tablig Jamaat, ensuring trial of Tablig members' murders by the opposition faction supporters, and imposing ban on all kinds of instigative speech in mosques.
They held the press conference under the banner of 'Ulamakeram and common people of Dawat and Tablig', where Kakrail Mosque Khatib Azim Uddin presented the demands.
Azim Uddin alleged that the Zubair followers are jeopardising religious harmony by misleading some of the ulamas of the country and using the young madrasa students.
The Zubair followers on Tuesday threatened to resist Maulana Saad, if he is allowed to come to Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, a good number of Maulana Saad followers took to the street before the Press Club, which caused gridlock in the adjacent areas including Paltan, Matsya Bhaban and Shahbag.
In 2018, the arrival of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi on the Ijtema premises led to massive protests, leading to his return to Delhi. Since then the Tablig Jamaat officially split into two factions.
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