Why are Jamaat and Qawmis at odds, and how did the rift begin?

The relationship between Jamaat-e-Islami and Qawmi Muslims (followers of Deobondi school of thought) has long been a complicated story in the landscape of Islamic politics in Bangladesh. A recent remark by Maulana Abdul Malek, khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, has stirred political debate once again. Before the election, he had warned voters that a party does not become haq (righteous or true to Islam) simply because its monogram contains a Quranic verse. But at a recent religious gathering, he described joining an alliance with Jamaat as gomrahi , or going astray. Maulana Abdul Malek himself belongs to the Qawmi tradition and serves as secretary for academic affairs at Markazud Dawah, an advanced research institution for Qawmi students.

His remarks therefore appear to reflect more than an individual scholar's opinion; they hint at a longstanding unease within an entire religious tradition. Although Jamaat's leadership has not issued an official response, anger has surfaced among its grassroots supporters on social media. They have questioned why the khatib remains silent about wrongdoing by members of the ruling party across the country. In a video, Jamaat lawmaker Amir Hamza can be heard saying that the imam of the grand mosque has become angry. Most members of the National Ulama Alliance, the Islamic wing of the National Citizen Party (NCP), which is part of Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, have Qawmi educational backgrounds. Its spokesperson has said that religious perspectives and political perspectives are not the same. Maulana Mamunul Haque has also found himself caught up in the controversy. The Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, which he leads, is part of Jamaat's alliance. Yet he is the son of the widely respected Qawmi scholar Shaykhul Hadith Azizul Haque…