Tabligh Jamaat's infighting

The recent violent clash between two factions of Tabligh Jamaat, a non-violent movement to preach Islam, was totally unexpected. The fight left one dead and more than 200 wounded.

The entire nation has witnessed how the revered Tongi Ijtema Maydan, the venue of the second largest annual gathering of Muslims in the world, was turned into a battlefield. Due to the feud between two contesting groups, the government has decided to not allow the gathering to take place this year.

The leaders of the Tabligh Jamaat should ask themselves what kind of message the general people will get from this violent incident. If the groups have a disagreement, they should sit together and resolve it in a peaceful manner. We urge all religious leaders to make sure that such incidents never reoccur in the future.

Sayek Ahmed Sajib, Gazipur