Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has strongly condemned what it describes as a growing trend of associating Islamic symbols such as the beard and prayer cap with the term 'razakar'—a label historically used for wartime collaborators. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group’s joint secretary general, Maulana Azizul Haque Islamabadi, said the practice promotes hatred and division under the guise of patriotism.

Islamabadi accused certain secular and pro-Indian groups of reviving anti-Islamic rhetoric during Victory Day celebrations. He alleged that such narratives aim to marginalize religious identity and distort the history of Bangladesh’s Liberation War. The Hefazat leader also criticized past governments for fostering hostility toward Islamic culture and called for unity against what he termed “Hindutva propaganda.”

The statement urged historians to present an objective account of the 1971 war to younger generations. Analysts note that Hefazat’s remarks reflect ongoing tensions between religious and secular narratives in Bangladesh’s political discourse, particularly around national identity and historical interpretation.