Tension Erupts in Dhaka: Police Disperse Hizbut Tahrir Protestors

Police in Dhaka used batons and stun grenades to disperse thousands of Hizbut Tahrir members near Baitul Mokarram Mosque. Many were injured and several arrested after weekly prayers. The group, holding a 'March for Khilafat', seeks a unified Islamic state, despite being banned in 2009.

Police in Dhaka deployed batons and stun grenades on Friday to disperse thousands of protestors from the Hizbut Tahrir group. The group had gathered near the Baitul Mokarram Mosque after Friday prayers. Many protestors sustained injuries and several were arrested during the clashes.

Masud Alam, a deputy commissioner with Dhaka Metropolitan Police, reported that violence erupted when protestors broke through police barriers. Eyewitnesses reported seeing numerous injuries among the crowd, estimated between 3,000 to 5,000 people, as they chanted slogans advocating for the unification of Muslim countries under a caliphate.

Hizbut Tahrir, banned since 2009, had been actively campaigning for participation in their 'March for Khilafat' through social media and local materials. The group aims to establish a unified Islamic state governed by Sharia law, challenging the secular legal framework currently governing Bangladesh.

(With inputs from agencies.)