The Biswa Ijtema of the Maulana Zubair Ahmed faction of Tabligh Jamaat will be held in two phases in January next year, with the first phase from January 8 to 10 and the second from January 15 to 17 at the Ijtema ground on the bank of the Turag River in Tongi.
However, no final decision has yet been made on when or where the followers of Maulana Syed Wasiful Islam, commonly known as the Saad faction, will hold their Ijtema, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Thursday.
He disclosed the dates while talking to reporters after a meeting with leaders of the Saad faction at the Secretariat.
Salahuddin said the government earlier held discussions with the Zubair faction and met the Saad faction as part of efforts to reach a decision on the annual gathering.
He said both factions want access to the Ijtema ground, but there is disagreement over its use.
According to the minister, a government decision issued in 2025 stated that the Saad faction would not hold its Ijtema at the Tongi ground from next year, following an understanding that the Zubair faction would use the venue for the final time and the Saad faction would hold its gathering elsewhere.
However, leaders of the Saad faction told the government on Thursday that they did not agree with that arrangement.
The Saad faction proposed holding its Ijtema after the two phases organised by the Zubair faction, with a reasonable gap between the events and before the start of Ramadan.
It also proposed holding a one-phase Ijtema in late November, before the January gatherings.
The government will discuss the proposals with the Zubair faction as well as law enforcement and intelligence agencies before making a final decision, the minister said.
“The government’s highest priority is to maintain peace and order so that no clashes take place,” he said, noting that previous conflicts between the two factions resulted in casualties.
Salahuddin said the Zubair faction had proposed that the Saad faction organise its gathering at a venue other than the Tongi Ijtema ground and assured that the government would provide necessary assistance.
The Saad faction, however, did not agree to the proposal, he said.
The minister said the Biswa Ijtema had been held in two phases even before the split within Tabligh Jamaat, mainly because of the large number of people attending the gathering.
He also said the government called on both factions to pursue reconciliation and make efforts to reach an understanding.
Asked whether Maulana Saad will be able to attend the Ijtema in Bangladesh this year, Salahuddin said the issue will be handled by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.