In an effort to avert further violence, followers of Sade Kandhalvi have announced their decision to vacate the Tongi Ijtema grounds in Gazipur, said Reza Arif on their behalf following a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday (18 December).
Reza Arif stated, "The meeting concluded with a decision that the government will take full responsibility for the grounds. No one will remain within the premises."
The development comes in the wake of clashes over the occupation of the Bishwa Ijtema grounds between supporters of Maulana Zubair and Maulana Saad Kandhalvi.
The violent confrontation, which erupted on the night of Tuesday, 17 December, resulted in the deaths of three individuals and left around 100 devotees injured.
A special meeting was convened at 11am on Wednesday to address the escalating tensions.
It was presided over by Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, home affairs adviser of the interim government, and attended by Land Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md Nahid Islam, and Religious Affairs Adviser AKM Khalid Hossain.
To stabilise the situation, four platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in Tongi.
The government’s intervention follows the midnight altercation, which saw devotees from both factions engage in violent clashes over control of the Ijtema grounds.
The Bishwa Ijtema, one of the largest annual congregations of Muslims, has faced increasing tensions between the two factions, with disputes over leadership and access to the grounds escalating into violence.
The government’s decision to take over the grounds aims to ensure peace and prevent any further loss of life.
