The International Khatme Nabuwat Grand Conference, held at Dhaka’s historic Suhrawardy Udyan on Saturday, drew a massive crowd of devotees and prominent religious and political figures, both local and international. The event, organised by the Combined Khatme Nabuwat Council, centred on demands for the state to officially declare the followers of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community as non-Muslims.
The conference featured key addresses from leaders of major political parties, notably Salahuddin Ahmed, a Standing Committee Member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Rofiqul Islam Khan, Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, who each made significant political commitments to the assembled religious community.
BNP Pledges to Reinstate ‘Trust and Faith in Almighty Allah’
BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed used his speech as an opportunity to assure the crowd of his party’s commitment to Islamic principles within the national charter.
“The late President Ziaur Rahman, our leader, was the first to insert ‘Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim’ into the Constitution. That remains. But what is no longer there is the full trust and faith in Almighty Allah that Ziaur Rahman also included in the preamble and as a fundamental principle of state policy,” Mr. Ahmed stated.
He unequivocally declared that if the BNP is elected to power, this core phrase—”full trust and faith in Almighty Allah”—will be reinstated in the Constitution.
Regarding the central demand of the conference—to declare the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community as non-Muslims—Mr. Ahmed stressed the need for national unity and due process. While addressing a sudden outburst from the crowd urging him to personally make the declaration from the stage, he said, “I will not speak in a language that is not the language of law. The legal steps for implementing this proposal will be taken through discussion in the National Parliament, Insha’Allah.”
He added that all Muslims must remain united for the demands of the Khatme Nabuwat Committee to be met.
Jamaat-e-Islami Commits to Non-Muslim Status for Ahmadiyya
In a more direct statement, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Assistant Secretary General Rofiqul Islam Khan explicitly pledged to meet the core demand of the assembly.
“If Jamaat-e-Islami comes to state power, the Qadianis will be declared non-Muslims,” announced Mr. Khan.
He further asserted that there is no disagreement on this issue within the country or across the wider Muslim world, stating, “Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the last Prophet. This belief is the consensus of the Islamic Ummah.” He reiterated that if the people of Bangladesh elect Jamaat-e-Islami, the official declaration will be made.
Global Scholars and Future Plans
The conference, which officially started at 9:00 AM and continued until the afternoon, was presided over by Maulana Abdul Hamid (Pir Saheb, Madhupur), Convener of the Combined Khatme Nabuwat Council. It served as a major convergence of the country’s religious and political leadership.
Prominent Islamic scholars from countries including Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt also participated, underscoring the international significance of the event. Among the foreign dignitaries were Maulana Fazlur Rahman, President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan, and Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, Rector of Darul Uloom Deoband, India.
At the conclusion of the event, a four-point action plan was announced by the organisers, which includes a mass signature campaign until April of next year, followed by submitting memorandums to Deputy Commissioners in May and June, and subsequently holding divisional Khatme Nabuwat conferences between July and November. A National Ulema-Mashaekh Conference will be held in December to determine the next course of action if the demand remains unmet.
