Banned terror group Hizb ut-Tahrir held its first open rally in Dhaka on Friday against Bangladeshi administration’s orders, leading to a clash with the police near a mosque following Jummah prayers. The organisation was termed as a “terrorist organisation” by India for trying to “establish Islamic state and caliphate globally”.
The “March for Khilafat” was joined by the thousands and the rally began from the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital city. The clashes erupted when the police intervened to stop the march, Dhaka Tribune reported.
The procession initially proceeded without disruption, but tensions flared as demonstrators moved from Paltan towards Bijoynagar, where police set up a blockade. In response, Hizb ut-Tahrir members resisted, triggering a chase between both sides.
To disperse the crowd, police fired tear gas shells and sound grenades, temporarily scattering the demonstrators. However, they later regrouped and attempted to resume their procession. As tensions escalated, law enforcement once again deployed tear gas, while protesters retaliated by hurling bricks and stones at officers. The confrontation intensified, resulting in the arrest of several Hizb ut-Tahrir members, Dhaka Tribune reported.
The group remains a banned organization in Bangladesh, with all its activities and demonstrations declared illegal.
The march comes amid rising concerns of violence against minorities and recent attacks on cultural, religious, and diplomatic properties in the south Asian nation, as raised by India at several occasions, especially after the ouster of former Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina last year.
This was reiterated by a UN report released in January which revealed that members of Bangladesh’s Hindu, Ahmadiyya Muslim, and indigenous communities faced human rights abuses during the anti-discrimination protests that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in 204 and its aftermath.
It said that even though authorities had reportedly made 100 arrests in connection with the attacks, many perpetrators of revenge violence and targeted assaults continued to enjoy impunity.
India declared Hizb ut-Tahrir a terrorist organisation last year and said that the group was “involved in various acts of terror, including radicalising the gullible youths to join terrorist organisations and raise funds for terror activities, posing a serious threat to the national security and sovereignty of India. The Modi government is committed to securing Bharat by dealing the forces of terror with an iron fist.”
“HuT is an organisation which aims to establish Islamic state and caliphate globally, including in India, by overthrowing democratically elected governments through jihad and terrorist activities by involving citizens of the country, which is a grave threat to the democratic setup and internal security of the country,” the ministry of home affairs had said.