In Bangladesh, the intertwining crises of fundamentalism, minority oppression, and political unrest have deep roots, stemming from decades of ideological conflict. In 1993, Dr. Syed Golam Mawla went to the University of London in the United Kingdom to pursue his PhD, where he became acquainted with Hizb ut-Tahrir. While in London, he also met Nasimul Gani and Kawsar Shahnewaz. Upon returning to Bangladesh, they established a local chapter of this organisation in 2000 at a coaching centre on Road 6/A in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.

At that time, the organisation engaged in discussions on its agenda with teachers, students, and employees of various universities, including Dhaka University. The primary discourse revolved around establishing a caliphate in Bangladesh, a new Islamic social system that threatened the country’s democracy—a system to be governed by Islamic Sharia law. This social crisis gained traction as Professor Mohiuddin Ahmed from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at Dhaka University served as the chief coordinator. When this issue gained more attention, it caught the notice of specific individuals.

On October 22, 2009, the organisation was banned. At the time of the ban, the organisation listed its address as HM Siddique Mansion, 55/A Purana Paltan, 4th Floor, Dhaka. On April 18, 2010, some members of Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh gathered beside the west of Takwa Mosque in Sector 3 of Uttara. They conspired against the government and planned to attack key government establishments, aiming to stir up public panic, thus adding to the political crisis. After receiving secret information, Uttara Police conducted a raid and arrested them from the scene. The police recovered anti-government leaflets and petrol bombs from them.

The group supported the 2011 Bangladesh coup attempt by some members of the Bangladesh Army who were connected to this organisation. On February 9, 2013, charges were framed against six people, including the organisation's chief coordinator, Mohiuddin Ahmed. In October 2014, after organising a procession in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, members of the group clashed with the police, further complicating the political crisis.

In January 2016, six members of the organisation were expelled from Dhaka University. The organisation recruited students from various educational institutions in Bangladesh. On June 15, 2016, a member of the organisation, Golam Faizullah Fahim, was arrested in Madaripur after attempting to murder a Hindu college teacher, reflecting the deepening minority crisis. On September 27, 2016, the court framed charges against the accused. Among the 16 witnesses in the case, seven testified at various times. In October 2016, Hizb ut-Tahrir urged members of the Bangladesh Army to fight against Myanmar over the Rohingya crisis.

Deepening Minority, Political and Social Crises Under Fundamentalism's Shadow

Several students and professors from North South University in Bangladesh were arrested on charges of involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir and engaging in terrorist activities. The July 1, 2016, Holy Artisan terrorist attack was one of the significant acts of violence connected to this organisation, implying a severe social crisis. By 2016, 650 members of the organisation had been arrested, among whom 400 were granted bail.

On October 24, 2016, the trial of six individuals, including Hizb ut-Tahrir's chief coordinator Mohiuddin Ahmed, began under the Anti-Terrorism Act. In the case filed for anti-state propaganda and the recovery of petrol bombs, two of the six accused, who were absconding, were sentenced to two years of imprisonment each by the Dhaka Anti-Terrorism Tribunal, signalling the escalating political crisis. After the case was delayed seven times, the verdict was finally delivered by Judge Mujibur Rahman of the Anti-Terrorism Tribunal. At that time, Professor Mohiuddin Ahmed of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at Dhaka University was present in court.

In the verdict, the judge sentenced Touhidul Alam and Saidur Rahman to two years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of five thousand takas, or an additional three months of imprisonment in default of payment. Besides the chief coordinator Mohiuddin, the joint coordinator Kazi Morshedul Haque Pallaban, member Tanvir Ahmed, and Abu Yusuf Ali were acquitted of the charges. Subsequently, the recruitment of Hizb ut-Tahrir members increased across the country through Bangla Bhai, intensifying the ongoing social crisis.

After a long hiatus, suddenly, on March 16, 2020, anti-state propaganda posters by Hizb ut-Tahrir appeared on the walls in various areas of Dhaka. One word that caught my attention in the posters was "Fascist Hasina," a term signalling the worsening political crisis. Then, a global pandemic started, and the matter was not discussed further, but it stayed in my mind. At that time, I was always online, with nothing else to do except Facebook. One day, I came across some new words on Facebook that I was not familiar with, and these words were being used by people 10-15 years younger than me. When I asked someone how these words came about, they informed me that these words were called "abbreviations." Upon deeper investigation, I noticed that students from public to private universities were using these words, especially while chatting on social media. At that time, I did not delve further into the matter.

Recently, in the anti-discrimination student movement that took place in Bangladesh, a term that resurfaced was "Gen-Z." In the social media posts related to the anti-discrimination student movement, the term "Gen-Z" was used, along with (Mid, Rizz, Beige flag, Roman Empire, Let him cook, Ghosting, Fascism, Face card, Girl math, Delulu, Ijbol, Yap, Lol, Cap, Lit, Stan). This language shift reflects a subtle but significant social crisis as young people navigate their identities in a country fraught with ideological conflicts.

The reason for writing so many words is that Hizb ut-Tahrir used these words in their anti-state propaganda posters. Currently, the six chief coordinators (Nahid Islam, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Asif Mahmud, Abu Bakr Mazumdar, and Abdul Kader) that we see in the anti-discrimination student movement are all members of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Furthermore, Professor Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University's Law Department, who is currently an advisor to the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs in the interim government, is also a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Asif Nazrul obtained his PhD from the University of London in 1999. It is known from a special source that Asif Nazrul was a close younger brother of Dr. Syed Golam Mawla. Another notable point is that both Asif Nazrul and Nahid Islam's homes are located in the Comilla district. Sarjis Alam repeatedly says that a beautiful social system must be established, something that Hizb ut-Tahrir has always promoted. This time, Hizb ut-Tahrir is not telling members of the Bangladesh Army to fight against the anti-discrimination student movement.

Now, Hizb ut-Tahrir controls important ministries in Bangladesh, highlighting the severe political crisis. Hizb ut-Tahrir members constitute 55% of the Bangladesh Army, a clear indication of their growing influence.

Hizb ut-Tahrir controls schools, colleges, universities, the IT sector, the telecom sector, print and TV media, banks, the medical field, the law department, public administration, and the land ministry in Bangladesh. The organisation's pervasive control across these sectors exacerbates the ongoing social crisis.

Sixty-five percent of the students in schools, colleges, and universities are members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization. Their banners now read "Student Public" and "Anti-Discrimination Student." Members of this organisation have been established in every district and sub-district. Students from Qawmi madrasas and English medium schools are also members of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

The organisation's digital media is run by students from private universities. The children of wealthy families in Bangladesh are being groomed under the ideals of Hizb ut-Tahrir. The pressure exerted on Hindu teachers in the name of the anti-discrimination student movement and student public, leading to their dismissal from jobs, is the work of Hizb ut-Tahrir members, contributing to the minority crisis. Hindu college and university teachers are being dismissed from their jobs in the same manner.

From the top to the mid-level in the IT sector, Hizb ut-Tahrir members are now many. Their people are well-placed in IT security and line technicians, signifying another layer of social crisis.

In the telecom sector, Hizb ut-Tahrir members work on the servers of Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink, and Teletalk. Their members also work at BTCL and in satellite operations, further deepening the political crisis in Bangladesh.

Many journalists in the print and TV media are now members of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Members of Hizb ut-Tahrir are present on Jamuna TV, Ekattor TV, RTV, Channel 24, and the Samakal newspaper. Various online newspapers are being run by their people. Some journalists who work on India-Bangladesh relations are active members of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has many active members collecting information in the banking and medical sectors, adding to the social crisis.

About 70% of the law department is now composed of Hizb ut-Tahrir members. The current interim government's advisor to the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Asif Nazrul, is now their leader, symbolising the depth of the political crisis.

For a long time, key departments of the Ministry of Public Administration have been run by Hizb ut-Tahrir. Under the Ministry of Land, most of the khas land is occupied by Hizb ut-Tahrir members, exacerbating the minority crisis.

Some high-profile professionals in Bangladesh work for Hizb ut-Tahrir. Most of them are students from government and private universities. Their activities are centred around diplomatic areas. Sometimes they are sent on missions abroad to form squads that can bring the diaspora on board their ideology. The goal is an Islamic Caliphate and the destruction of the Hindu civilisation within and outside Bangladesh. Or is it civilisation itself as we know? Only time will tell if humanity can come together to defend the values we hold dear. But one thing is certain, time is running short for the civilised world and Hizb ut-Tahrir's dream of a brutal, fundamentalist, barbaric Islamic Caliphate is getting realised, right before our eyes.

Image source: News18