NN Online:
Followers of the Sadeq group have vacated Kakrail Mosque and surrounding streets following the Friday Jumu’ah prayers. The group had gathered at the mosque to demonstrate their position. After offering prayers and making a supplication (dua), the participants gradually left the area, with the surroundings of Kakrail Mosque beginning to clear.
The group started dispersing around 1:00 PM on Friday, November 15, following the conclusion of prayers. Before that, the worshippers had been preparing for the Jumu’ah prayers as early as 12:00 PM. The khutbah (sermon) was delivered by the mosque’s Imam, who had previously announced that this would be the largest gathering of Sadeq followers. Following the sermon and prayers, the Imam made an announcement via the mosque’s loudspeaker, instructing the worshippers to disperse and return to their respective destinations.
The Imam also declared that a large gathering would be held on December 7, where scholars from both within the country and abroad would participate. The gathering will include discussions on the activities of the Tabligh Jamaat and other contemporary issues.
This event follows a longstanding dispute between two factions of the Tabligh Jamaat, which first became public in November 2017 when clashes broke out between the two groups at Kakrail Mosque. Over the past seven years, the two factions have alternated their activities within the mosque, with the Zubair faction occupying one part of the mosque year-round, while the Sadeq faction operates in a rotating schedule—two weeks on, four weeks off.
Sadeq supporters have long accused the government, particularly during the tenure of the Awami League, of providing more privileges to the Zubair faction, who are aligned with the Hefazat-e-Islam group. Tensions between the two factions have intensified, particularly concerning the management of the Ijtema ground in Tongi, where both sides claim influence, leading to continued rivalry.