Worshippers protest outside Baitul Mukarram over khatib

Tensions flared outside Dhaka’s Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Friday when a group of worshippers staged a protest after Juma prayers, alleging that Jamaat-e-Islami was complicit in efforts to oust the mosque’s khatib, Mufti Abdul Malek, although the claim regarding the party’s role has not been independently verified.

The demonstration took place at the mosque’s north gate after Friday prayers on October 9, and was spearheaded by the Olama Dal, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh. Protesters chanted slogans demanding the dismantling of Jamaat-Shibir and Maududi-affiliated establishments. Moreover, one participant insisted that Mufti Abdul Malek should remain the mosque’s khatib and continue to lead prayers, contending that Islam belongs to Allah and the Muslim community rather than to any political party.

The protest unfolded amid mounting controversy over the khatib’s recent criticism of Jamaat-e-Islami’s ideology, as well as of sections of the Qawmi religious leadership for forging political alliances with the party. Consequently, his remarks have ignited fierce debate among Islamist political groups and religious scholars, with discussion and censure also proliferating across Facebook. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether any formal move to remove him has actually been initiated.

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Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, one of the groups involved in the demonstration, contested the 13th parliamentary election under an electoral understanding with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Although it fielded candidates in four constituencies, it failed to secure a single seat. Ultimately, the episode underscores how deeply the country’s religious and political fault lines now intersect, even within the precincts of the national mosque.