Dhaka: Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is wanted in India on multiple charges of hate speech and incitement, has been granted permission by the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh government to undertake a month-long visit to the country. His tour is scheduled to begin on November 28 and conclude on December 20, during which he is expected to travel across Bangladesh and deliver speeches.
The move marks a significant reversal from 2016, when the Sheikh Hasina government banned Naik’s Peace TV after investigators found that one of the attackers in the Holey Artisan Bakery terror strike was inspired by his sermons. The attack, which left 22 people dead, had led Dhaka to clamp down on extremist propaganda and block Peace TV broadcasts.
Naik, who currently resides in Malaysia, is accused by Indian authorities of spreading radical ideas through his speeches and his Peace TV network, which broadcasts in English, Urdu and Bangla. His statements have often courted controversy — among them his remark that “If bin Laden is fighting the enemies of Islam, I am for him. If he is terrorising America, the biggest terrorist, I am with him. Every Muslim should be a terrorist,” which he later claimed had been misquoted.
Officials in India have described Naik as having a clear anti-India stance. He has been linked to several forced conversion cases in Kerala and to activities associated with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed multiple cases against him for promoting enmity between religious groups.
His upcoming visit to Bangladesh comes amid growing concern in New Delhi over what it sees as rising radicalisation in the neighbouring country. Indian intelligence agencies have alleged that the Yunus administration, which they say is influenced by Jamaat-e-Islami, has released several terror convicts and allowed Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to expand its activities in Bangladesh.
Analysts view Naik’s visit as part of a broader trend of growing radical influence in the country following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster. They point out that the ISI has been using Bangladesh-based outfits such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to plan cross-border attacks. Naik’s presence, they warn, could further embolden such groups.
This will be Naik’s first visit to Bangladesh, coming less than a year after his similar tour of Pakistan, where he was received with state honours and met top politicians as well as terror-linked figures such as Muzammil Iqbal Hashmi and Muhammad Harris Dhar of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. His itinerary in Bangladesh is expected to include meetings with leaders of the HuJI and JMB, both designated terrorist organisations.
Naik fled India in 2016 after his name surfaced during investigations into the Dhaka attack. Since then, he has been living in self-exile in Malaysia and has been denied entry by several countries, including the UK and Canada.