The local administration has imposed Section 144 in Shimulghar area of Madhabpur Upazila in Habiganj ahead of a planned Waz Mahfil by Mufti Giyas Uddin Taheri. The event was scheduled to take place Saturday afternoon in a field near the village hospital.

The order was issued Friday by Madhabpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Zahid Bin Kasem.

According to residents, the Mahfil was organized by a committee led by Mufti Muzammel Haque, with Mufti Giyas Uddin Taheri as the chief speaker. Advocate Aminul Islam, Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, was invited as the chief guest, and local UP Chairman Minhaz Uddin Chowdhury was to preside over the program.

Mufti Muzammel Haque Masumi, speaking on behalf of the organizing committee, alleged that a group is attempting to disrupt the Mahfil by misleading the administration. “We request intervention from the Deputy Commissioner to ensure the program is held,” he said.

Local UP member Kamal Mia added, This Section 144 order was unnecessary. It was imposed to obstruct Taheri Huzur’s Mahfil. We hope the event can proceed peacefully.

Reports indicate that a separate committee, under the banner “Noore Madina Gauciya”, circulated posters for a conflicting Waz Mahfil, listing speakers and officials who were not aware of the program. Locals allege that vested interests created the fake posters to create confusion and mislead the authorities. The local mosque imam, Maulana Rokon Uddin Salehi, whose name appeared as president on the poster, called it entirely fake.

Sohel Rana, Officer-in-Charge of Madhabpur Police Station, confirmed that due to the risk of communal unrest from the scheduling of two rival Mahfils in the same location, the administration issued Section 144 as a precaution.

Notably, Mufti Giyas Uddin Taheri had contested the 13th National Parliamentary Election on February 12 from this area as a Bangladesh Islami Front candidate, securing 84,323 votes but losing to BNP’s S.M. Faisal.