New Delhi: In a dramatic showdown in Dhaka Friday, a rally led by banned Islamist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) turned violent on the way to Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the city. Members of the rally titled ‘March for Khilafat’, demanding the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in the country, clashed with the police who used batons and stun grenades to stop the procession.
Visuals across social media showed thousands of HuT members and supporters chanting “Khilafat, Khilafat”, defying barricades, as the police used teargas and sound grenades to disperse them. Three persons are reported to have been arrested for organising the rally.
Days before the rally, the Islamist group had mounted a massive social media campaign dubbed as ‘March for Khilafat’.
According to experts and analysts, the goings-on in Bangladesh are a sign of rising Islamist tendencies in a largely secular nation and the Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime needs to act quickly.
“Hizb-ut is likely trying to assert themselves, seizing this moment of political instability and uncertainty of political process, hoping to revive their position. Their influence is still limited but visible and vibrant among the elite bourgeoisie,” activist-academic Rezaur Rahman Lenin told ThePrint.
“It is on the Yunus government to act quickly and demonstrate their commitment to a fair political process, human rights, rule of law and national election. If not, groups like Hizb-ut-Tahrir could exploit the situation and cause further destabilisation,” he added.
HuT’s history in Bangladesh
HuT’s ideology is hinged on, first, unification of all Muslim countries under an Islamic state or Caliph, ideally headed by an elected Caliph, and second, the establishment of Sharia law.
Under the Sheikh Hasina regime in Bangladesh, the group was banned in 2009 as a “threat to public security”. After that, the group mostly remained underground. It has now re-emerged, having identified the power vacuum post Hasina’s ouster.
There are other factors at play as well. The HuT initially wasn’t radical, having starting in the early 2000s with a focus on Islam’s historical influence. The group gained traction among urban youth, particularly in private universities, addressing issues like crime and drug addiction. HuT’s influence grew after 2001, but Hasina’s government banned the group in 2009 due to national security concerns and their goal of establishing a caliphate, Lenin noted.
During its active years, the group was influential, particularly among students and business professionals, and operated covertly after being banned. The group was led by Mohiuddin Ahmed, a professor at Dhaka University’s Institute of Business Administration, who coordinated its activities.
While HuT has faced accusations of involvement in killings and other violent acts, no solid evidence was ever found of the same. Even after being banned, its members were subject to mass arrests and alleged extrajudicial killings by the law enforcement agencies. The group, however, continued to operate discreetly through smaller events and public gatherings in limited zones, according to Lenin.
HuT had also supported a coup attempt in Bangladesh in late 2011 said to involve certain members of the army with connections to the outfit.
Since the ban in 2009, 650 HuT leaders and members were reported to have been arrested, of which more than 450 were let out on bail and are now said to be absconding.
In September 2024, HuT leader Imtiaz Selim called for the ban on the group to be lifted, claiming it was placed for political reasons. He was, however, arrested by the Dhaka police’s counter terrorism department a month later.
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‘Incompetence of interim government’
Although HuT’s influence waned after several leaders were arrested, the group has resurfaced with new posters in Dhaka. In October last year, students from elite institutions like St Joseph’s and Notre Dame held a march holding what looked like the flag of the terrorist outfit ISIS—the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. It was seen as a sign of HuT trying to re-enter the political scene.
Now, with the Dhaka rally, the HuT is only growing bolder. While the group’s rallies are small, they are an attempt to reorganise, possibly using political instability to their advantage, say political experts.
According to Lenin, HuT is unlikely to become a major force, especially with strong government resistance. But the onus rests on Yunus. He needs to ensure that these radical groups do not find any more space than they already do, he said.
Others disagree. They think Yunus is actively encouraging instability to remain in power.
Speaking to ThePrint, Maulana Ziaul Hassan, who identifies as a secular cleric, called the situation “concerning”. He thinks the current political situation in Bangladesh is worse than it was in 1971.
“There is no one to speak against them. They are fanatics and they have been given a free hand. On the face of it, Yunus pretends to not support it, yet both his hands are dipped in these factions. That is how he intends to remain in power. He is their godfather,” Hassan said.
He recalled that on 7 March, 1971, Bangladesh’s founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, gave his iconic speech calling for freedom. Now, 54 years later, the radicals have taken over the streets, he said.
“Yunus has ended our hard-earned secular freedom. HuT and other Islamic groups are on the rise. In the name of religion, they now do door-to-door campaigns to spread their violent campaign and the government encourages this. There is no one to guide us on the right path for this country, ” Hassan added.
Saimum Parvez, senior researcher at School of Theology, Religion and Society in Oslo, Norway, also said that Friday’s HuT rally in Dhaka highlights the concerning law and order situation in Bangladesh and “the incompetence of the interim government”.
“This situation arises when a non-political caretaker government remains in power without clear guidelines for power transition. Radical Islamist groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir are taking advantage of the current lawlessness and the lack of effective governance of the interim government, which lingers its stay without a popular mandate,” he added.
Parvez also echoed Lenin’s concerns, adding that although HuT has only minimal and fringe support, it may not be easy to contain them. All the major political parties, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party, are against the ideology preached by HuT.
“The longer the national election is delayed, the more opportunities banned organisations like HuT will have to emerge and influence the political and social landscape of otherwise mainstream liberal Bangladesh,” he said.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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“They” are your average Muslim – the ones you come across in your everyday life.
When Muslims become the majority in a country, thus is what they yearn for – a pure Islamic theological state ruled by Shariat law.
Indian Muslims “believe” in the Indian Constitution – only because they are in a minority now.