Dhaka, Nov 22 (LatestNewsX)—A new report highlighted how Bangladesh is swiftly shifting toward a more Islamist identity, describing the capital as a growing nexus for a spectrum of extremist outfits. These include Jamaat‑e‑Islami, Ansarullah Bangla, Jamaat‑ul‑Mujahideen Bangladesh, Harkat‑ul‑Jihad‑al‑Islami Bangladesh (HuJI), local branches of the Islamic State, and a host of lone‑wolf actors.
The same piece notes that the ascent of major Islamist factions such as Khatm‑e‑Nabuwat, combined with their close ties to Pakistan, signals a clear strategy to impose Sharia and enact harsh, regressive laws that specifically target women and minorities.
“Bangladesh is getting a booster dose of Islamist radicalisation. It is witnessing significant developments that are going unnoticed in the global media. However, they mark significant steps in Dhaka’s onward march towards Islamisation, emulating Pakistan’s playbook. One such event was an international conference on the concept of Khatm‑e‑Nabuwat, ie, the finality of Prophethood, held in the Bait‑ul‑Mukarram Mosque after the Jumma prayer on January 3, 2025,” wrote policy analyst Abhinav Pandya, founder of the think‑tank Usanas Foundation, in First Post.
“According to this concept, the idea of Prophet Mohammad being the final one is the central tenet of Islam, and any deviation from this is tantamount to apostasy.” He went on to say that Ali Omar Yaqub Abbasi, the Imam of Masjid Al‑Aqsa in Palestine, participated as the chief guest. The two‑session gathering was led first by Junayed Al Habib, the executive president of the International Majlish‑e Tahaffuje Khatme Nubuwwat, and then by Acting President Sajidur Rahman. The immediate consequence of this doctrine is its impact on the Qadianis, or Ahmadiyya Muslims, who do not accept the Prophet as the final messenger.
The report also pointed out that after the former Awami League administration under Sheikh Hasina cracked down on Islamist groups following 2005, the power shift in 2024 has allowed those groups to rebound aggressively, turning Bangladesh into an inviting arena for global pan‑Islamist forces.
Within these conferences, slogans proclaiming Qadianis as non‑Muslims have taken center stage, signaling a shift from previous targets such as ISKCON and broader non‑Muslim minorities.
“This is the replication of Pakistan’s playbook of Islamisation. In Pakistan, in the early 1950s, the Islamisation drive began with anti‑Ahmadiyya riots and a campaign by the Deobandi extremists. Later, it resulted in persecution of Ahmadiyya and banishment from Islam. In parallel, Deobandi activism in anti‑Ahmadiyya riots strengthened their grassroots support base and muscle power. The state began to view them as powerful assets and proxies to pursue Jihadist projects,” the report observed.
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