Police have so far found no evidence linking any individual or group, including the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), to the reported abduction of Gazipur's Tongi BTCL Colony Jame Mosque Imam and Khatib Mufti Muhammad Mohibullah Miaji.

The Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) disclosed the information in a press release yesterday (25 October), Joint Commissioner of GMP Taherul Haque Chowhan confirmed the matter.

According to GMP, a case has already been filed with Tongi East Police Station over the incident. Police began their investigation even before the case was registered, considering the abduction of a senior Islamic scholar "a serious matter".

However, at the current stage of the investigation, no conclusive evidence has been found to implicate any individual or organisation, including Iskcon. Therefore, GMP urged everyone to refrain from blaming any party until the investigation is complete and called on the public to assist by providing any relevant information.

Earlier on Thursday morning (24 October), Mufti Mohibullah was rescued in a rural area of Panchagarh, a day after he went missing. He was found chained to a banana tree, with his legs tied, before locals rescued him and took him to hospital.

Speaking to journalists from his hospital bed, the 65-year-old imam said, "I was abducted by four to five men who forced me into an ambulance while I was walking near home."

He claimed the abductors spoke fluent Bangla but did not sound Bangladeshi. They allegedly blindfolded him, assaulted him, and verbally abused him, even taking away his mobile phone.

He also said he had been receiving anonymous threatening letters for the past 11 months, warning him against speaking about Islam or the Quran, and allegedly urging him to support Iskcon and the idea of "Akhand Bharat."

Following his rescue, local Islamist groups in Panchagarh under the banner of "Iman-Aqidah Rakkha Committee" held protests, demanding a ban on Iskcon.

Some analysts believe that blaming Iskcon before the investigation is complete may be part of a deliberate campaign by certain Islamist groups to incite religious tension. They warned that such actions could further complicate the situation and distract from identifying the real perpetrators.

Meanwhile, demonstrations demanding Iskcon's ban were also held in Dhaka after Friday, with large gatherings at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Similar rallies took place in Kamrangirchar, Uttara, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Asad Gate, and Jigatola.

Gazipur / abduction / Imam