THE sectarian tension created over the staged abduction of an imam underscores the significance of a proactive approach to law and order before the forthcoming national elections likely to be held in February 2026. Mufti Muhammad Mohibullah Miaji of Gazipur was reported missing on October 22 and the next day, he was rescued by local police in Panchagarh. Mufti Mohibullah initially claimed that he had been abducted by a group of men, possibly linked with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and subjected to verbal and physical abuse. However, the police interrogated several individuals and verified some details using information technology and closed-circuit television camera footage and found his claim to be false. Mufti Mohibullah also told a metropolitan magistrate court in Gazipur on October 28 that he had not been abducted by anyone and he had gone to Panchagarh willingly. It is promising that the police promptly unearthed the truth and put the controversy over his abduction to rest, but the law enforcement agencies should also look into the matter that no vested interests are plotting to create sectarian tension and instability in the country before the national elections.
The allegation of abduction and torture against a Hindu religious organisation has instantly incited communal tension in Panchagarh which spread across the country. After his rescue, local Islamist groups in Panchagarh under the banner of the Iman-Aqidah Rakkha Committee, held protests at many places, demanding a ban on ISKCON. During processions, slogans inciting violence targeting the organisation created an environment of fear and vulnerability among the Hindu community. In this context, the Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council has urged the government to take the matters of such communally motivated actions into serious consideration before the national elections. They believe that blaming ISKCON before the investigation may have been part of a deliberate campaign by certain Islamist groups to incite religious tension. Their fears are not unfounded given that the spread of false information has created communal tension and violence in the past. In many earlier instances sectarian violence, it was found that vested quarters triggered the violence by misinformation and bigotry. The interim government has so far been more active in refuting false allegations of communal violence than actually protecting the minority rights in times of crisis.
Considering that sectarian and divisive politics are becoming more pronounced before the national elections, the government should take decisive and pre-emptive actions against any quarters trying to incite sectarian violence. In light of the Penal Code, which criminalises making a false charge with the intent to cause harm, the actions of Mufti Mohibullah should be thoroughly investigated to determine whether the fabricated abduction was part of a larger scheme to create unrest.
