Tabligh demo at airport triggers traffic chaos

Demonstration of Tabligh Jamaat members against arrival of a controversial Indian leader of Tabligh headquarters in Delhi, Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, outside Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dahka triggered severe traffic chaos on Wednesday.

The roads in and around the airport are completely in gridlocked following protests.

A section of Tabligh-Jamaat men joined the protesters blocking the Airport Road resulting in a gridlock stretching all the way to Tongi Bridge.

Passengers of a number of flights those landed at the airport got stranded there for the demonstration.

Maher Sattar, who came from Cox’s Bazar, said seeing the demonstration, he took an alternative way through Uttara—Diabari but could not proceed because of severe traffic congestion.  

The Tabligh Jamaat activists did not withdraw the barricade till 4:00pm, disrupting traffic on the roads from Banani to Gazipur.

Khokan Das, who is coming from Mymensingh, said he got stuck near Tongi for four hours. ‘Is Dhaka facing doomsday today?’ he said.

Ruhul Amin Sagar, assistant commissioner (Airport zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said that they are trying to convince the protesters to pull out their blockade.

Saad Kandhalvi reached the Dhaka airport by a Thai Airways flight TG 321 around 12:30pm and later he was taken to Tabligh’s headquarters in Bangladesh at Kakrail mosque at around 1:00pm, said Airport Armed Battalion commanding officer Mohammad Rashidul Islam Khan.

The protester are demanding sending back Saad Kandhalvi for his controversial remarks

Inspector (investigation) of airport police station Mokhtaruzzman told newsmen that the Tabligh followers are on demonstration around the airport roundabout since morning.

Confronting situation of Tabligh Jamaat men in Bangladesh followed the rift in the headquarters of global Tabligh Jamaat at Bangle Wali Masjid located in Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi, India emerged over the issue of assuming top most leadership of global non-political sunni movement influenced by Deobandi school of thought.

Since the passing away of global Tabligh chief Maulana Inaam ul Hassan, much known as Hazrat ji, a shura was appointedd instead of one amir. The shura consisted ofamir of Tablighi Jamaat Pakistan Haji Abdul Wahhab, Maulana Zubair ul Hasan who is the son of Inamul Hasan, and Maulana Saad Kandhalvi son of Maulana Yusuf Kandhalvi, the second amir of the group. Since the passing away of Maulana Zubair ul Hasan in 2014 Mauala Saad claimed to be the amir.

Son of Maulana Zubair ul Hasan, Maulana Zuhairul Hasan has laid a claim to the leadership, his followers have asked Saad to reconstitue the Shura which was rejected by Maulana Saad.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net