Shahood Asif, Lecturer Jamia Ahmadiyya International, Ghana
Divine opposition to the righteous has always served as a testament to their truth. The Holy Quran declares:
“Thus did We make for every Prophet an enemy from among the sinners.” (Surah al-Furqan, Ch.25: V.32)
It further reminds believers that faith is not without trial:
“Do men think that they will be left alone because they say, ‘We believe,’ and that they will not be tested?” (Surah al-‘Ankabut, Ch.29: V.3)
Like other divine communities, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat’s 136-year history is filled with trials and tribulations. Yet, as time has passed, the signs of Divine support and favour have become ever clearer and more radiant.
Across the world, the seeds of this Jamaat are taking root and, by the grace of God, flourishing into strong and steadfast trees. Despite the relentless conspiracies and schemes of its opponents, Divine help continues to accompany the community at every turn.
At the same time, those whose hearts are filled with malice and envy have expanded their circles of hostility. This opposition has not reached the intensity and legal nature as is prevalent in Pakistan, but it is inching closer towards it.
Brief history of Ahmadiyyat in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a fortunate land whose many inhabitants had the honour of pledging allegiance to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi. Some even had the blessed opportunity to visit Qadian.
At the time of his claim, Bengal was part of India and under British rule. Because of the efforts of the early companions, many people accepted Ahmadiyyat. By the time of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira, the number of Ahmadis in Bangladesh had reached in the hundreds. In 1913 the first Ahmadiyya mosque was constructed at Brahmanbaria.
Since this area had a Muslim majority, opposition to Ahmadiyyat took various forms from the beginning. After the creation of Pakistan, West Bengal became part of Pakistan, and eventually, in 1971, Bangladesh emerged as an independent country. Today, the number of Ahmadis in Bangladesh has reached into the many thousands, alhamdulillah.
Opposition to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat
There are three major political parties in Bangladesh:
1. The Awami League
2 The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
3. Jamaat-e-Islami
In addition, there are several other political and hardline religious parties.
In 2009, the Awami League formed the government following elections and Sheikh Hasina Wajid became Prime Minister. After 15 consecutive years in power, in August 2024 Sheikh Hasina Wajid had to step down amid public protests. Since then, a caretaker government led by Mohammad Yunus has been in place.
Jamaat-e-Islami is the third-largest political party in Bangladesh and is at the forefront of opposition to Ahmadiyyat. It was founded by Maulana Maududi in 1941 in Lahore.
After the creation of Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami established a branch in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). During the 1971 war, Jamaat-e-Islami took a position in favour of Pakistan’s unity and aided the Pakistani military.
After Bangladesh’s independence, Jamaat-e-Islami was declared “traitorous” and was banned. Later, following the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the advent of military rule, restrictions on political parties were lifted.
Thus, from 1979 the group reorganised and began participating in Bangladesh’s politics. In 2004, it had the opportunity to form an allied government with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Because of historical reasons, the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina are staunch opponents of Jamaat-e-Islami. When Sheikh Hasina returned to power in 2009, investigations into alleged war crimes of 1971 were restarted. Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami faced trials; some were sentenced to death or life imprisonment, and executions of a few leaders were carried out.
In 2013, the Supreme Court cancelled Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration. However, in June 2025 the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division ordered that the party’s registration be restored and directed the Election Commission to re-register the party.
That decision reopened the path for the group’s return to electoral politics. Its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, remains active among youth.
Besides Jamaat-e-Islami, the leading organisations vehemently opposed to Ahmadiyyat in Bangladesh are as follows:
- International Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat (Bangladesh): They have long demanded that Ahmadis be declared non-Muslims. They are allied with other religious organisations.
- Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Center (Bangladesh): This organisation works in the name of protecting the belief in finality of Prophethood and calls itself a body campaigning against the “Qadiani fitna [chaos].” They mention this “Qadiani fitna” on their website and organise specific programs.
- Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Andolon Bangladesh (KNAB): This is a subsidiary branch of the International Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat and has been found involved in attacks on Ahmadi mosques and homes.
- Hefazat-e-Islam (Protection of Islam Movement): This organisation has also recently been involved in attacks against the Ahmadiyya Community and other minorities.
Campaigns and violent actions against the Ahmadiyya Jamaat
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country. Organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami and other hardline Muslim groups find sympathies among simple-minded Muslims by invoking the slogan of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat.
From time to time, extremist clerics have incited violence against Ahmadis by spreading slander, accusations of disbelief and by calling for aggression. Several Ahmadi mosques, meeting halls and homes have been attacked. Details of some recent incidents are as follows.
• On 7 April 2025, during a rally expressing solidarity with the Palestinians, demonstrators identified and demolished an Ahmadi mosque in Bahadurpur.
• In August 2024, during nationwide unrest against the government, Ahmadi mosques and Ahmadi homes in various parts of the country were targeted. Four mosques and one prayer center were attacked, vandalised, and set on fire; in some places, the Imam’s quarters were also torched.
Overall, attacks occurred at five locations: 1) Ahmadnagar Jamaat – mosque, Jamia Ahmadiyya Bangladesh, a meeting hall, and over 80 homes were set ablaze; 2) Rangtia Jamaat – mosque, the Imam’s quarters, and eleven homes were burned and looted; 3) Bam Nail, a circle of Rajshahi Jamaat – mosque vandalised and looted; 4) Charaikhola Jamaat – mosque burned; 5) Taraganj Jamaat – prayer center and Imam quarters burned and an Ahmadi was injured, due to which he eventually attained martyrdom. (Daily Al Fazl International, 26 November 2024, p. 1)
• In 2023, an attack took place during the Jalsa Salana in Ahmadnagar in the northern district of Panchagarh. More than 200 houses were burnt to the ground, and an Ahmadi was martyred.
• On 12 February 2019, rioters attacked the central mosque in Ahmadnagar and Ahmadi homes: seven Ahmadi homes and four shops were looted and set on fire, while 19 houses were vandalised. More than 21 people were injured in the incident. That same year, attackers assaulted an Ahmadi center in the town of Netrokona.
• In 2005, when Jamaat-e-Islami was part of a coalition government, anti-Ahmadi riots resulted in attacks on several mosques. In two significant incidents: in Joyti Diriya Nagar, Satkhira district, an Ahmadi mosque was attacked and homes looted; and in Brahmanbaria, an Ahmadi mosque was attacked during Friday prayers, leaving eleven Ahmadis seriously injured.
• During the same government in 2004, a complete ban was imposed on Ahmadi publications (books, literature & magazines), which the High Court suspended in December 2004. (ibid.)
Recent campaign to declare Ahmadis non-Muslim
For a long time clerics have sought to amend the constitution in the manner of Pakistan to declare the Ahmadiyya Jamaat non-Muslim. Jamaat-e-Islami leads this effort.
From 2001 to 2006, the group was a partner in the government. In 2005 clerics demanded that the government officially declare Ahmadis non-Muslim and threatened action if it did not. That year, many processions and rallies were held against the Jamaat and Ahmadi mosques and homes were attacked, as evidenced above.
Before the recent political change, Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s party was in power and was relatively moderate. Additionally, because of her strong opposition to Jamaat-e-Islami, clerics were not freely permitted to incite unrest.
However, after the change of government in August 2024 the situation changed drastically. The influence of Jamaat-e-Islami and other religious organisations has been increasing.
One clear example is the results of university student elections in Bangladesh in September 2025. According to the student union election results at Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami won an overwhelming majority. Analysts say these results could influence the general elections scheduled for the following year.
At the same time, echoes of constitutional amendments are being heard in Bangladesh. Seizing these opportunities, opposing clerics have announced a movement demanding that Ahmadis be declared non-Muslims at the state level in the manner of Pakistan.
In March 2023, Jamaat-e-Islami’s deputy secretary-general said in a statement: “Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority country where 90 percent of people are Muslim. In this country the Qadiani (Ahmadi) group is engaging in careless activities against Islam. People who love Islam will not accept them. The government’s role in this matter is questionable.”
In the same statement he demanded that the government officially declare Ahmadis non-Muslim. (ibid.)
After the change in government, Jamaat-e-Islami has repeatedly reiterated this demand in its statements. Interim leader Mohammad Yunus met with several Jamaat-e-Islami leaders on 31 August 2025 to discuss potential constitutional changes and the upcoming elections.
The International Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat (Bangladesh) announced at a rally held in September that a large demonstration would be held in Dhaka on 15 November 2025 demanding that Ahmadis be declared “non-Muslim.” The announcement stated: “The Qadiani community is destroying the faith and belief of Muslims in our country. Scholars and believers have long demanded that they be declared non-Muslim at the state level.”
Clerics from other countries, India, Pakistan, and the Arab world are also being invited for this gathering. Numerous rallies, meetings, and advertisements are being organised for this event.
The July 2025 report published by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom referred to the hardline group Hefazat-e-Islam and reported that it has presented thirteen demands regarding Ahmadis, including that they be declared non-Muslim and that action be taken against them under blasphemy laws.
Recently, India’s well-known newspaper Hind Samachar also wrote about attacks on Ahmadis and Hindus in Bangladesh, stating:
“Since Mohammad Yunus came to power in August 2024, attacks on Hindus and Ahmadi Muslims in Bangladesh have consistently increased. Extremists have been given free rein, and the government sits silently.
“The assaults on religious minorities have reached the point of open threats. Renowned Bangladeshi cleric Mufti Inayatullah Abbasi recently said publicly: wherever you find a Qadiani (Ahmadi), kill them. He said that if the government does not declare Ahmadis non-Muslim, then through occupation of parliament – not just through the streets – this law would be enacted.
“According to India Today, clerics from Darul Uloom Deoband, Pakistani Maulanas, and several extremist Bangladeshi leaders will participate in the November 15 rally. They will pressure the Yunus government to excommunicate Ahmadi Muslims from Islam. This movement, under the guise of ‘protecting religion,’ is an attempt to spread hatred, much like in Pakistan.”
All the statements, events, and trends outlined above clearly point to the fact that the principles of religious tolerance and freedom of thought in Bangladesh are increasingly at risk.
It appears the country is gradually moving along the same trajectory Pakistan took in 1974 when the Ahmadiyya Jamaat was declared non-Muslim. After that decision, there was an increase in social division, religious extremism, and state weakness.
The tendencies now emerging in Bangladesh, organised hatred campaigns against the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, religious edicts, processions and official silence suggest that history may be on the dangerous brink of repeating itself.
This situation is a stern test for the government, political leadership and state institutions. They are obliged to act with wisdom, foresight and broad-mindedness to curb the influence of religious groups and extremist elements determined to destroy social peace in the name of religion.
If the state chooses to bow to them for expediency or political gain, it will not only be a flagrant violation of human rights and religious freedom but also seriously tarnish Bangladesh’s international reputation.
What is needed now is for the government to demonstrate the rule of law, respect for civil liberties, and the principles of communal harmony in practice. If Bangladesh truly aspires to be a democratic and moderate state, it must free itself of these religious extremist elements who wish to confine the country within circles of hatred, violence, and narrow-mindedness. Otherwise future generations will be crushed under the burden of the same prejudice and division whose cost many countries in the region are paying today.
Prayers for the Ahmadiyya Jamaat
The Ahmadiyya Jamaat’s claim and its firm conviction are that there is one God who hears our prayers and supplications. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa urged the Jamaat on numerous occasions to pray for the Ahmadis in Bangladesh. In a recent Friday sermon on 31 October 2025, Huzooraa said:
“Pray for the Ahmadis of Bangladesh as well. There the opponents seem to have great ill intentions. May God protect every Ahmadi there.” (Daily Al Fazl International, 31 October 2025, p. 2)
Earlier, on 4 October 2024, during his Friday sermon, Huzooraa had similarly launched a call for prayers for the situation of Ahmadis in Bangladesh.
Huzooraa again mentioned the need for prayers for the Ahmadis in Bangladesh and Pakistan during his Friday sermon on 14 November 2025.
Therefore, Ahmadis across the world should humbly fall before God in heartfelt prayers, especially for those facing hardship and persecution. With sincere and tearful supplication, they must call upon their Lord. The time is not far when God will send His angels to assist us, and every storm of hostility and persecution will be completely swept away. The Promised Messiahas said:
“These people should remember that their hostility cannot hurt Islam. They will perish like insects, but the light of Islam will grow with every passing day. God has wished that the radiance of Islam should spread throughout the world. The blessings of Islam cannot be contained by the prating of these ill-intentioned priests. Allah has addressed me in these clear words:
اَنَا الْفَتَّاحُ اَفْتَحُ لَکَ۔تَرٰی نَصْرًا عَجِیْبًا وَ یَخِرُّوْنَ عَلَی الْمَسَاجِدِ۔رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْلَنَا اِنَّا کُنَّا خَاطِئِیْنَ۔جَلَابِیْبُ الصِّدْقِ۔فَاسْتَقِمْ کَمَآ اُمِرْتَ۔اَلْخَوَارِقُ تَحْتَ مُنْتَہٰی صِدْقِ الْاَقْدَامِ۔کُنْ لِلّٰہِ جَمِیْعًا وَ مَعَ اللّٰہِ جَمِیْعًا۔عَسٰی اَنْ یَّبْعَثَکَ رَبُّکَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُوْدًا۔
“Meaning that, ‘I am the One Who grants victory – I shall give you victory. A wondrous aid will you behold. The disbelievers, i.e., those of them in whose fate lies guidance, will fall in prostration saying, ‘Forgive us our sins, we were in error.’
“These are the manifestations of truth that will be seen. So be steadfast, as you have been told. Miracles are shown at the height of steadfastness. Be you all for God and with God. God shall exalt you to a station where you will be praised.
“In another revelation, with a few repetitions and some variation of words, God said, ‘I shall grant you honour and shall multiply you. I shall invest your relics with blessings, such that kings shall seek blessings from your garments.’ Now, O Maulawis, O people of mean nature, try if you can and avert these Divine tidings. Employ every deceit and spare no stratagem, then see if it is God’s hand that prevails or yours.’
وَالسَّلَامُ عَلٰی مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْھُدٰی
“The warner and well-wisher,
“Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian.” (Heavenly Decree [Aasmani Faislah], 2006 pp. 59-60)