Saad loyalists granted Ijtema permission on condition of leaving Tongi next year

The home ministry has allowed followers of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi to hold the second phase of Biswa Ijtema on the Turag River in Tongi on condition that the group will not organise Ijtema or conduct Tablighi activities there from next year, reports bdnews24.com.

The decision was announced in a notification signed by the ministry's Public Security Division Deputy Secretary Abu Sayeed on Tuesday.

According to the notification, Saad's followers can organise this year's second phase of the Ijtema from Feb 14 to 16,

It also outlined three decisions for the successful implementation of Biswa Ijtema 2025: Tablighi Jamaat's Shura-e-Nezam faction (led by Maulana Mohammad Zubair) will conclude their Ijtema on February 5, after which they will hand over the Ijtema ground to the administration after Maghrib prayers on Thursday, February 6.The Saad group's Ijtema will be held from February 14 to February 16, and they must return the venue to the authorities after Maghrib prayers on Februart 18. From next year, they will not be allowed to conduct Ijtema or any Tablighi activities at the Tongi site. The permission for this year is conditional on this agreement and the Ijtema ground will be handed over to the Shura-e-Nezam faction on Februart 20.

When asked about the decision, Reza Arif, a representative of Maulana Saad's faction, said: "We will discuss the matter before making any statement."

Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Nazmul Karim Khan said the Ijtema ground will be handed over to Maulana Saad's followers on Saturday along the banks of the Turag River.