Police in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, used tear gas and sound grenades on Friday to disperse hundreds of members of the banned group Hizbut Tahrir, who were marching to demand the replacement of the country’s secular democracy with an Islamic caliphate.
Defying police barricades, the protesters gathered at Baitul Mukarram Mosque after Friday prayers, chanting “Khilafat, Khilafat” as part of the ‘March for Khilafat’ demonstration.
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According to witnesses, law enforcement struggled to control the crowd and resorted to using tear gas and sound grenades. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police had previously warned banned organizations on Thursday against holding public rallies and gatherings.
Hizbut Tahrir, outlawed in Bangladesh since October 2009 due to national security concerns, has continued to organize protests and marches despite restrictions on public assemblies.
The group, headquartered in London, advocates for a unified pan-Islamic state, asserting that its approach remains peaceful.
With a population of 170 million, Bangladesh is one of the world’s largest Muslim-majority democracies, facing ongoing political instability.
The country has been experiencing unrest since an interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, assumed control following protests that led to the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
