BAITUL MUKARRAM NATIONAL MOSQUE
Clash between followers of two khatibs leaves 50 hurt
Extra law-enforcers deployed in the area
FE REPORT | Saturday, 21 September 2024
At least 50 persons (musullis/worshippers) were injured following a clash between the followers of the former and current khatibs (the person who delivers prayer sermon) in the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque during the Jum'a prayers on Friday.
According to eyewitnesses, Mufti Waliur Rahman Khan, the current khatib, was delivering sermon in the mosque. At that time, former khatib Mufti Ruhul Amin along with his followers arrived there and tried to take away the microphone from him. It sparked a confrontation between their groups that led to physical attacks on each other's followers.
A devotee preferring anonymity told the FE that several people were injured. Many musullis were disturbed by the chaos and some of them leave the mosque.
Later, some musullis tried to gather on the street in front of the mosque, but they were dispersed by the army, police and RAB personnel. The authorities repeatedly made announcements via loudspeakers, urging people to leave the area.
Tension prevailed in the mosque area before the Friday prayers due to a conflict over the khatib position. The return of Ruhul Amin, who fled after the fall of the Awami League regime, sparked the situation, according to the eyewitnesses.
Additional army and police personnel were stationed in the area to maintain law and order. A prison van was seen stationed in front of the mosque, along with an armored police vehicle near the Baitul Mukarram market. Water cannons and hundreds of law-enforcers were also stationed at the Purana Paltan intersection.