He made the statement on Sunday (November 2) following a meeting with representatives from both factions of the Tablighi Jamaat at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, held at the Secretariat.
The meeting was also attended by Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General (Retd) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Industries and Housing and Public Works Advisor Adilur Rahman Khan, and Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry Nasimul Gani.
“Since the elections are approaching, law enforcement agencies are currently engaged in election-related duties,” the advisor said. “Holding the Ijtema during this period would require significant deployment of security forces. Therefore, we have decided that the Ijtema will take place after the elections.”
Explaining the rationale for the decision, Hossain added, “The Ijtema involves a massive gathering, including foreign participants. The government believes it would be unwise to take such a risk ahead of the polls.”
He also mentioned that both factions of the Tablighi Jamaat have agreed to this decision in the presence of the three advisors.
“If the elections are held in the first half of February, the Ijtema will not coincide with Ramadan,” Hossain said. “It may be organized after Ramadan. However, the exact dates will be finalized later through discussions between the two parties at a convenient time after the elections.”
In response to a question about whether the two factions will hold separate Ijtemas, the advisor said, “The situation has reached a point where holding a joint Ijtema is no longer possible. The gatherings will have to be organized separately.”
Regarding the possibility of postponing the national elections, the advisor said, “There are currently no plans to delay the elections. If such a situation arises, we will hold further discussions and decide accordingly. Our goal is to ensure that the elections take place on schedule.”
