Muezzin Dismissed Over Political Campaigning

A muezzin in Naogaon’s Sapahar Upazila has claimed he was dismissed from his post at a local mosque for campaigning on behalf of a BNP candidate, sparking controversy in the community. The incident came to light when Al Amin Chowdhury, the affected muezzin, shared his experience on Facebook following his termination by the mosque committee on Monday. His post quickly went viral, drawing attention from local media and social circles.

Al Amin had served as the muezzin of Talpukur Masterpara Jame Mosque in Sapahar Upazila for the past four years. According to him, pressures from supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami were instrumental in his removal. “I have performed my duties with dedication and integrity over the years,” Al Amin told reporters. “However, due to my political affiliation with the student wing of BNP and my social media posts supporting their candidate, the mosque committee repeatedly pressured me to abandon politics. Certain local Jamaat leaders went even further, pressuring the committee to terminate my employment.”

He added that the decision to dismiss him had been long in the making. “My political involvement was used as a pretext. In addition, I had opposed the eviction of a grocery shop in front of the mosque. Last night, the mosque authorities removed the shop and only allowed minimal time for the owner to collect his belongings. When I intervened, the committee, including the president Elahi Box, reacted angrily and dismissed me. It is clear that politics was the main reason behind my dismissal.”

In response, Elahi Box, president of the mosque committee, defended the decision. “No one wants an imam or muezzin to engage in political activities. His overt support for a particular party was widely disapproved. Moreover, a grocery shop had been set up in front of the mosque, operated by a boy named Rocky. The committee had repeatedly instructed him to remove it. When Al Amin took the side of the shop owner instead of adhering to the committee’s decision, it forced us to terminate his employment. This decision was made collectively by local residents.”

Meanwhile, accusations were also directed at Jamaat-e-Islami. However, the local Jamaat leadership categorically denied any involvement. A statement signed by Sapahar Upazila Amir Abul Khair read: “The claims made by Al Amin on his Facebook account regarding his removal from the muezzin post are entirely false, baseless, misleading, and deliberately provocative. No leaders or members of Jamaat have any connection to this incident.”

Summary of Incident

This incident has ignited debate over the role of religious officials in political activities and the pressures they face from local political factions, highlighting tensions in the interplay between faith and politics in rural Bangladesh.