Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has demanded the immediate removal of sculptures depicting its leaders and activists from the July Museum. In a joint statement sent to the media on Monday, the group’s ameer, Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari, and secretary general, Allama Shayekh Sajidur Rahman, described the installations as a grave violation of Sharia and a mockery of the sacrifices made by Islamic scholars. The report was published on August 10, 2026.

The two leaders said that, in their view, constructing sculptures of any person is forbidden and unlawful under Sharia, regardless of an individual’s political identity or contribution. They argued that creating sculptures in the name of preserving the memory of scholars who worked to protect Islamic beliefs and values contradicts Islamic rules. They also called it a painful and unprecedented contradiction.

Hefazat said the nation should remember the July 2024 uprising, its martyrs and participants with respect, but should not place that remembrance against religious sentiment and Islamic values. It proposed preserving written histories, documents and records in the museum, and including related history in national textbooks. The group warned that scholars would not remain silent if the sculptures are not removed.