The two-day Tablighi Jamaat ijtema began on November 17 morning at the Sylhet city’s suburban truck terminal. Permission of this event has been issued by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner of Sylhet.
Earlier there was an instruction from the police administration to postpone the ijtema. Following this instruction, the president of the organizer of ijtema, Anjuman-e-Hefazat-e Islam and its leader Mufti Rashidur Rahman Farooq and his followers, along with thousands of devotees took a stand on the ijtema ground and announced to observe the event as per their demanded schedule.
Anjuman-e-Hefazat-e Islam is founded by the pir of Boruna area in Moulvi Bazar district. The organization planned to hold the ijtema on the occasion of 77 years of founding anniversary of Anjuman-e-Hefazat-e Islam. Although they initially decided to hold the event at Aliya madrassa ground in Sylhet city the venue was later changed as on November 19, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is going to hold divisional rally in the same premises.
Now the question is why this ijtema is organized hours before the divisional rally of BNP? According to local sources, even though the police gave instructions to hold the ijtema after November 19, the Sylhet Metropolitan Police later had to grant permission for holding it during November 17-18 under pressure from Pir Mufti Maulana Rashidur Rahman Farooq of Baruna and his followers.
According to revised permission, the ijtema program have to end with the final prayer on Friday afternoon from the beginning of Islamic lectures on Thursday morning. As divisional rally of BNP from 19th Saturday, activists and members of this party have already gathered in the ijtema ground under the guise of worshippers. From Friday afternoon they will start shifting from ijtema ground to Sylhet Aliya madrassa ground.
A source inside BNP said, there is a festive mood among BNP’s leaders and workers in Sylhet centering the divisional rally. They want to send a strong message to the government with the participation of hundreds of thousands of people in the rally. There already is tensed situation in Sylhet due to this rally.
The source said, as there is rumor of transport strike from November 18 night, thousands of BNP men have already arrived at the ijtema ground, wherefrom they later will shift to Sylhet Aliya madrassa ground. BNP high-command has secretly conveyed message to party leaders and activists to arrive at the ijtema venue under the guise of devotees.
It may be mentioned here that, Bangladesh Nationalist Party enjoys support from Islamist parties and organizations in Bangladesh, along with pro-Caliphate Hefazat-e-Islam. This party has always been using religion card in gaining support from the masses.
Secret plot of Bangladesh Nationalist Party
According to a credible source, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is looking for gathering over five million people at its December 10 grand rally in Dhaka, from which the party is planning to wage armed jihad against the government. Several BNP leaders including Aman Ullah Aman had already asked party activists to get preparation for becoming martyr in the “name of Allah”. Aman also said, BNP leader Khaleda Zia, who currently is serving rigorous imprisonment and is allowed to stay at her residence in Dhaka’s Gulshan area will “try to attend the grand rally” violating parole rules. As the party also is fearing obstructions through transport strike, it has asked Islamist forces, including Hefazat-e-Islam to “somehow” arrange a “special ijtema” at Tongi area in Gazipur district or organize “several” waj events withing surrounding areas of Dhaka city during December 9 evening. Once permissions are granted either for holding special ijtema in Tongi area or waj events at various places near Dhaka city, hundreds and thousands of BNP men would participate these religious events under the guise of devotees, while they will switch to BNP’s grand rally premises from the late hours of December 9, 2022.
The party also has suggested its activists to start arriving in Dhaka city from different parts of the country under the guise of Tablighi Jamaat men. Following this instruction, large number of Islamist leaders including leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam are already holding secret meetings in Dhaka city, while few of such meetings are taking place at residences of several retired government officials.
